Owari Nai Yume Unending dreams
by ShadowYoukai87
Summary: Kagome has been having strange dreams, and InuYasha's worried, especailly when more than her sleep is affected InuKag SanMir R&R please !15 to end up!
1. Prolouge

**Owari Nai Yume; Unending dreams **

**Prolouge**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!!!!T-T**

"TRAITOOOOOOOOR!!!"

Kagome sat bolt upright in her bed, shaking and covered in cold sweat, her dream-like memory replaying itself in her mind. How could she even imagine...how could she harbour even the slightest idea that InuYasha would...

She shook her head, not wanting to even think about it. The dreams weren't her own, she knew that, but that didn't change how she felt about them. Scared. Alone. Confused. She had known this one was coming, since the first of the dream-memories had hit her. Or, at least, the first one she understood for what it was.

She glanced at the digital clock on her dresser, an improvement on the one InuYasha had broken, so long before. The luminescent numbers read half past five and she sighed. There was no way she'd be able to get back to sleep and get to the feudal era on time, not that she really felt like going back. Not after that dream. She felt sick at having to see him again. Maybe she could fake a cold and be allowed a few more days to get better? With the lack of sleep from the past few days, she did look ill. Her eyes had horrible bags and were bloodshot, her whole face was sallow and she could easily fake a fever. Souta did it all the time when he was younger, so why not her? Surely the hanyou would take her statement at face value. Last time she was there, he had said she wasn't looking well. She could... no, she couldn't. InuYasha would believe her because she didn't lie to him. If he found out she had lied about being ill, she'd break his fragile trust and he'd be forever hounding her, not let her go for tests, not rely on her in battle. It would all become horrible.

She laughed at the irony. She didn't want to break his trust, but a part of her wanted to be sick at the idea of being near him. What was she going to do?

She shook her head. Shower first, make plan later. She hoped Kaede would be at the village. She was sure to know what to do about these dreams.

Read on. Chapter 1 posted.


	2. Chapter 1

**Owari Nai Yume; Unending Dreams**

**Chapter 1**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!!!!T-T**

InuYasha walked along the road, ahead of the rest, doing an activity that was rare for him, though not as much as it had been. He was thinking. And thinking very hard, because everyone kept looking at him funny. Everyone, but Kagome. The girl hadn't looked at him since he had met her coming out of the well, and then only for a split second before she threw him a _fake _smile and walked off to the village, throwing herself into Keade's hut, which had nearly instantly had become warded so he couldn't hear. She was hiding something from him.

And it hurt.

He had never thought that the girl from the future would hide anything from him, but since their last encounter with Naraku...Kagome just hadn't been quite the same. Something had changed in her, and he had his suspicions. It had to do with Kikyo, he was sure.

He felt a pang of guilt at the name. Kikyo. He hadn't meant for it to happen, hadn't seen the tentacle in her direction, only the one in Kagome's. He had moved from his spot near the un-dead miko's side and ran over half the battlefield to save Kagome, just as Kikyo was hit. Then Naraku had laughed, asking how it felt to kill the one he loved twice. The puppet had died a moment later by his own hand as he attacked in rage and pain. Even after the demon puppet was dead, he had had a desire to destroy, to kill, to slaughter. He had nearly even turned on his friends before he had calmed down, after destroying the better part of the forest. That night, under the full moon, he had prayed. Prayed for Kikyo's soul to be at peace, for her to forgive him, for her to give him her strength so he could kill Naraku. Nearly two months, and it still hurt as bad as the day it had happened, and Kagome had grown steadily worse.

That day, Kagome had gotten the missing part of her soul, which had been infinitely smaller than he had ever thought, but it had been tainted terribly by the hate and betrayal its previous owner had felt in life and its un-dead experiences, growing stronger everyday. It had been slow, but one morning, she had woken up, and given him the saddest look he had ever seen from anyone, and apologized. When he had asked what for, she just shook her head and mumbled something about still being asleep.

And it had gotten worse.

Soon, she gave him all these sad, secretive looks, like she knew something about him he didn't know she knew. Then, she'd have looks of understanding and pity and say things that he couldn't believe she could say, sometimes a reference to a long dead villager, or a slip of the words, like calling Kaede 'sister'. Then was the use of her powers for things even Kaede was surprised she could do. Then, by the well, she had had an almost scared look in her eyes as she forced herself away form him. She had looked haunted by some terrible thing, almost crushed for a split second before determined and defiant, but she hadn't willingly looked at him since.

It lead him all to one conclusion. The part of her soul that was Kikyo was changing the Kagome he knew and loved into something she wasn't meant to be.

His thoughts were broken by the unpleasant sound of Kagome sniffling. That made him notice the minuscule amount of salt in the air. He looked back and saw the girl wiping away some tears in hopes that he wouldn't notice her crying.

He stopped walking and allowed the girl to walk into his back before he turned around and met her eyes. The brown orbs were wide in panic as she began to walk away, but he stopped her from going far by grabbing her wrist gently, but firmly so she couldn't get away.

"L-let me go, InuYasha," she asked after struggling with his grip a few minutes.

"No," he replied simply, "We need to have a long talk about how you've been acting around me lately."

She froze. "W-w-what do you mean?" she asked, the panic rising to her scent.

"Don't play dumb!" he shot, rougher than he meant, "Ever since Kikyo died, you've been acting all weird! Don't even try to deny it. We've all noticed."

Kagome looked to Sango, Shippo and Miroku for help, but their eyes showed they agreed with the hanyou. They had all lost sleep over her behaviour.

"We'll camp here," he declared loudly. It was already late afternoon. "You and me, Kagome, are going to have a nice little chat right now."

"B-but Sango needs me to-"

"We'll manage without you, Kagome," the demon slayer replied. "You and InuYasha have had this talk coming for several months, now," she said lightly, but her eyes were dead serious.

Without waiting for her to ask something else, he lifted the girl over his shoulder and dashed off into the woods surrounding the road. It pained him to hear her struggle to get away, to smell the panic and terror in her scent, to think he was causing her to be scared. Why did she fear him? Did she think he meant even half of the mean things he had said to her since they had met over a year before? Did she think her would even try to hurt her?

By the time he stopped in a small clearing, only two minutes later, Kagome had stopped struggling and seemed content with dry-sobbing on his back. When he placed her on the ground, he renewed his hold on her wrist to keep the jumpy girl from darting off into the woods. In her current state, she was sure to get into some kind of danger without realizing it.

"Kagome?" he asked after a few minutes of silence, "Kagome, what did I do?"

She looked up at him for a moment, her old self, before dropping her eyes to look away from him. "W-what do you mean?"

"What did I do to make you so scared of me?"

"I'm not scared of you!" she shot, still not looking at him, "It's my problem, InuYasha," she said quietly, "You didn't do anything. Let it go,"she leaned her forehead on his chest, "I don't want to talk about it."

With his free hand he cupped her chin and forced it up so he could see her face. "Dammit, wench. Why won't you even look at me?"

"Just leave me ALONE!!" she shouted and he felt his skin tickle.

Instinct made him jump back and release her just as she flared pink, saving him from the girl's miko powers. They both stared at the burn mark in the tree he had been standing in front of a mere second before. Clapping her hands over her mouth, Kagome screamed before falling into the ground, her tears renewed.

Cautiously, InuYasha walked over to her shaking form and touched the burn. He held back a snarl when pain shot through him, enough pain to sear his skin right off. Kagome had...nearly attacked him? No, he didn't 't believe Kagome would... He had seen he powers in use before, out of her conscious control, the day they had met. She had been nearly frightened of herself then. Confused. Terrified. Solitary. Now, that fear of herself was back, but ten-fold. Her shaking form reminded him of...him, after his demon blood had taken over and he had killed all those people, nearly turning on his friends.

"K-Ka...gome?"

"Don't touch me, InuYasha," she cried, "I...I don't know if I can...if I can control my...my powers."

He backed away slightly, surprised at her confession. "It's alright," he replied, reaching a hand to her back, "You have them under cont-" his hand was thrown back by a barrier. "What the... Kagome, take down this barrier right now!"

"No."

"Please, Kagome."

"No."

"Do I gotta beg? Let down this barrier!"

"No!" She lifted her head and stared into his eyes and he shuddered at what he saw.

A dead woman's eyes.

Kikyo's eyes.

R&R please


	3. Chapter 2

**Owari Nai Yume; Unending Dreams**

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!!!!T-T**

Kagome felt warm all over. Comfortable, safe, and more than a little disoriented. She could hear the sound of running water, smell the scent of a hot spring, feel the steam, taste the water...Taste the water!?

It was gone almost as soon as she had registered it to be replaced by a sweet, cool tea. She felt something at her throat, gently stroking, forcing her to swallow. She would have pushed the cup away, but she couldn't seem to move.

"That's a good girl," came a voice from nowhere, "Drink it all up. Oops," some of the liquid slid down her chin. "No problem. We'll just wipe that off...There we go."

The cup left her mouth and she swallowed the last of the tea, still without any conscious control. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was InuYasha saying they needed to talk, then the talk not going well, and then...then it was all foggy. Had they been attacked? She did remember the hanyou jumping to dodge something. Had they been attacked and she had been paralysed? What in Ra's name was going on? Oops, wrong god. Damn Souta and his Yu-Gi-Oh! obsession!

"Miroku says this'll help you. He's a monk, so he knows how to deal with power overloads, I guess," the voice paused and she felt something on her cheek, "He also said you probably can't hear me, but we both know you're stubborn and will show him up. Three days, my foot. I'm sure you'll be up by morning." the hand on her cheek stopped stroking it, "Man, Kagome, I still don't understand what happened out there-"

Something happened? She knew it!

"-but I want you to know that I don't blame you one bit."

Why would he blame her? Had she...done something? Why couldn't she remember? Why couldn't she move? She let out a quiet sob, drowned out by the sound of a splash. She had never felt so helpless in her entire life!

After several tedious minutes, she managed to open her eyes enough to make out that it was night time and she was in a hot spring. To her right, she saw a person dressed in red with long white hair shaking like a dog in an attempt to dry himself, spraying her face with water.

Wait a moment.

She was in a hot spring.

InuYasha was on the shore, but had recently been in it with her.

She couldn't feel her school uniform clinging to her, meaning she wasn't wearing it.

Who said Miroku was the only pervert?

"Si-" she choked on some water, but saved herself, "Sit!"

From the corner of her eye, she saw the beads glow pink and come crashing to the ground, followed by some rather vulgar language, even for him. He mumbled something about 'wenches' and 'talking in their sleep' before he got up and lifted her lowering head from the water. Once she was certain it was clear, she raised her enormously heavy hand and slapped him, rather clumsily, on the cheek.

"What the fuck was that for wench!?" InuYasha shot out of habit, not even realizing what it meant until a moment later. "Kagome! You're awake!"

For a moment, his-complete-self was an over grown Shippo, and for a moment she nearly forgave him. Nearly.

"Wh...why the he..heck am I nak..naked?"

"Naked?" InuYasha asked, still in 'Shippo mode', "You're not naked. Sango dressed you in your be-ta-hi-n su-ta before we brought you to the spring. I swear, neither Miroku or I saw you naked. I know. I kept a close eye on the letch while he made that tea. Are you okay? You really exhausted yourself."

"I fe..feel s..so weak." she replied slowly, "S..sorry I sl..slapped y...you."

"It's alright."

There was a short silence as she pondered how to word her thoughts. How could se tell him she didn't remember something? She could hardly believe it herself.

"Inu...Yasha? Wh...what ha...happened?"

"You don't remember?" She shook her head slowly, "Well, uh, it's kinda strange."

"So tell me."

He nodded and began.

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How in the seven hells could Kagome have Kikyo's eyes? It was impossible! Kagome was Kagome,

Kikyo was Kikyo, and Kikyo was dead. Kagome had her soul back, and...

"What's wrong InuYasha? You look like you've seen a ghost."

The words may have come from Kagome's mouth, but they sounded nothing like her. It was an eerie monotone, one he had known only Sesshoumaru to use. Was Kagome...was she possessed? How in hell could it have happened? Kami, what was he going to do?

"Why aren't you replying, Inu dear. Do I scare you?"

"Who are you?" he demanded, knowing full well it couldn't be the girl from the future. That voice was a million times too cold to be her. "What have you done to her?"

"Kagome? I have done nothing to her. I..." 'Kagome paused and looked over herself in shock. "Oh my. It seems something unexpected has happened. Fear not. The...owner of this body is fine. She has merely suffered from a power overload of sorts." She sounded amazed at her own words before pausing and looking up at him, "You...you truly care for her, don't you?"

"I don't need to answer you anything."

She nodded, understanding. "We may meet again, but do not count on it. I must return from whence I came." She walked over to the hanyou and smiled gently, the coldness gone, "Oh, InuYasha. How you've changed since we first met. You are so much happier now."

Without another word, the body of Kagome fell into his chest, limp as a rag doll. He had his arms around the girl in an instant and gently lay her down on the ground, unsure of what he could do. The thing that had possessed her had said she was suffering from a power overload. Maybe the monk could do something to help her. Maybe he'd know what that thing was. It confused him. There had been a moment he had been sure that it had been Kikyo standing before him.

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Kikyo. First the dreams, now this. Kaede had warned her that something of the sort may happen, but she hadn't taken it seriously. To think it would happen the day after the memory of her betrayal. No, it hadn't been InuYasha, it had been Naraku. Naraku. Naraku!

"Naraku," she mumbled before drifting back to unconsciousness.

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Hi! Just wondering how many of you say the 'dreams' for what they were, or close to it anyways.

Thank you to my reviewers: mari333 & aknightofni

R&R


	4. Chapter 3

**Owari Nai Yume; Unending Dreams**

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!!!!T-T**

"You say she whispered 'Naraku' before she fainted?"

"Yeah, monk. Do you think _he_ has something to do with this?"

"I doubt it. This isn't really his style."

"May be he's changing his style to fool us," Sango suggested, "Or it could be an incarnation."

"Then how could Kagome have figured out what happened?! She seemed to have understood what was going on before she fainted. And, besides, she sounded like she was trying to _convince _herself he had done something."

"'Tis odd, I agree, yet ye need not worry. Young Kagome shall be fine with some rest."

InuYasha turned to the old woman and glared at her. "This has got something to do with what she talked to you about when she got back yesterday, doesn't it?" He accused, "You know what's going on, don'cha, ya old hag?!"

"That is between Kagome and myself, InuYasha." The old miko replied gravely, looking purposefully at the fire. "She does not wish for ye to know."

"Dammit! I knew she was hiding something from me! What is it? Tell me ya ol' hag!"

"I can not betray her trust InuYasha, and if ye cannot accept that, than mayhap ye should leave my hut."

"'Mayhap ye should leave my hut,'"InuYasha sneered mockingly. "If you know so much than why couldn't you have stopped this from happening?"

"It is...out of my area of expertise." Kaede replied. "I specialise in the body, not the soul."

"The soul?" Asked Sango, looking up from the sleeping Shippo and Kilala. "What has this to do with the soul?"

_The soul?_

_  
InuYasha looked on helplessly, caught in a trance, at the impossible figure before him. Kaede had told him she was dead, that the stolen ashes they were searching for were hers, so how could she stand before him, looking just as she had fifty years before?_

"_Ki...Kikyo?"_

_As soon as the name left his lips, Kagome's body jerked and the streams of light surrounding her broke away from her and shot into the air._

"_The soul is emerging!"_

_  
The soul... _

"_Don't play dumb!" he shot, rougher than he meant, "Ever since Kikyo died, you've been acting all weird! Don't even try to deny it. We've all noticed."_

_  
The soul!_

_  
He was thrown back as the tentacle threw him backwards and into Kagome, knocking the girl down. He forced himself off of her and the ground in a flash, barely being able to block the next attack with Tessaiga. Naraku would pay for trying to kill Kagome. He'd start that payment on this puppet!_

_The tentacles stopped, and the puppet laughed coldly, freezing him to the bone. What could be so funny that he would stop his onslaught?_

"_Now, InuYasha, how does it feel to be responsible for the death of the on you love?"_

"_What the hell are you talking about, Naraku?"_

_The puppet chuckled and pointed to the broken body of Kikyo, strewn helplessly on the ground, already becoming dust. Behind and around him, he could hear his friends gasp. Kikyo was finally...gone...at peace. The mockery that had stolen her soul from Kagome was no more, and Kikyo's memory could finally rest._

_There was a quiet cry from behind him, and he turned in time to see the last of the souls from Kikyo enter Kagome's chest, pushing her in random directions and causing her to fall over onto him. Kikyo was finally at rest...and Kagome was finally whole once more._

"This...this has to do with Kagome getting her soul back from Kikyo, doesn't it?"

The miko looked up at him and nodded. "It may, but I cannot delve into the details. Kagome has told me all in confidence, and a daren't break that."

"No," he agreed, "Trust shouldn't be broken."

"Where are you going, inuyasha?"

"I just need to think." He replied as he went out the door.

He walked frigidly through the village, paying no mind to the villagers still out at the late hour. It _had_ been kikyo standing before him, or at least her soul in Kagome's body, but how could Kagome have understood what had happened without some waring, unless...

Unless she had had some side effects before hand, like her memories!

It all made sense. How else could she have made references to events that had happened while he had been trying to get the jewel? Or calling Kaede 'sister', and not even bothering to fix her mistake? And that fear scent she had had at their talk. She must have only recently recalled Kikyo's death and was still in the process of accepting that the memories were wrong. And he had pushed her to explain herself to him! Kami, what was he going to do?

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R&R please! And don't expect this to keep this pace forever! I'm sure to run into writer's block eventually...


	5. Chapter 4

**Owari Nai Yume; Unending Dreams**

**Chapter 4- 'Oops!'**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!!!!T-T**

One week. That's how long ago InuYasha had told her to go home and rest up. Had told her he didn't want a repeat of her 'possession'. Had told her she was better off away from him. Had looked like he knew something she didn't know he knew. One week had never felt so long.

Between her friends asking about her latest illness, the _oblivious_ Hojo asking her out and the much-smaller-than-usual pile of make-up work, she barely had a moment where she allowed herself to reflect on the dreams. Had InuYasha been there, she would have had a reason to try to deal with them, but no him, no reason to force herself to accept them faster, in the end causing her to not even smile once. At least, not once because she felt like it and not so she looked like her 'normal' self. Normal. That was a laugh. She hadn't been normal since she had turned fifteen...and fell down the well...and met InuYasha. Nothing had been normal for her since then, and lately, it had been even farther from what any teen in the 21st century would have to deal with.

But today, she felt restless. She felt like she had met InuYasha's criteria and could return down the well for some shard hunting. Screw the test she had the next day, screw these messed up memories she had, she just wanted to go back into her old routine in the feudal era and see her dear friends again. Every time she came back, it got harder to stay away.

She got up from her bed and dressed in her usual garb before writing her mom a note she'd not read until morning. She grabbed her bag, already packed for the trip, and snuck out of the house, not wanting to wake anyone. It took her twice as long as usual to get to the well house and even longer to climb out, as it was too dark to see the vines on the well walls. After tossing her bag over the lip of the well, she pulled herself out into the deserted well clearing. It had been ages since she had come through the well to see a deserted well clearing, since InuYasha, if not the entire gang, had been there to greet her, and she had never been out at night. After all, InuYasha wouldn't let his precious 'shard detector' out of his sight at night. Something about demons attacking her for the jewel shards...

Speaking of demons, she saw something white in the surrounding woods flash by. Instantly, she took hold of her bow and drew an arrow. She prayed it was just InuYasha playing some trick on her, but it was highly unlikely. He would never hint he was there like that. He'd merely sneak up behind her and pounce without warning. That was his style, not scare her out of her mind.

_Mistress_.

"Who's there?" she demanded, spinning around to see the rest of the clearing.

_Mistress, you have returned. _

_We have missed you._

"Who's there? Sh...show yourself!"

_As the Mistress wishes._

From the air appeared a dozen pure white flying snakes, feathered with dogs faces. Dozens, all circling her, all silent in the moonless night.

"Wh...what do you want?"

_We want to help our new Mistress. _

_The old Mistress is gone, but you are her; but...different. _

_We want to serve._

"You steal souls," she pointed out. "I have no use for that."

_We do what the Mistress wants._

_We can find jewel shards._

_Or Naraku's lair._

_What ever the Mistress wants._

The things were speaking into her mind?

_We are the Shimobe no Kaze._

_We serve the Mistress._

"Why me?"

_We choose our Mistress._

_We need no reasons._

_Forgive us for our crimes against you._

_We were obeying the old Mistress._

"I understand, but..."

_You have not the mark._

_With the mark, you shall understand all._

_Do you accept the Shimobe no Kaze?_

"I...I don't know. Can I think on it?"

_The Shimobe no Kaze_ _need a Mistress._

_We have already been too long without one._

_We shall fade without you, Mistress. _

_Take us!_

_We shall serve you well, Mistress!_

The Shimobe no Kaze began to fill her mind with pleas for her to become their Mistress, but Kagome hesitated. They _could_ be useful, but, how would she use them without the others finding out? Surely, they wouldn't understand they weren't...what, evil? Cruel? No, they just blindly obeyed their Mistress. There was no doubt they'd be useful, but would the others understand?

"I..I accept." she said finally, "I'll be your Mistress, but no more soul stealing! Just...look for Naraku's palace, alright?"

_As the Mistress wishes._

With so much as another sound, the Shimobe no Kaze disappeared into the night sky, leaving her alone in the well clearing once more. Alone. Vulnerable. Shivering in fear. And cold. Okay, time to get to Kaed...

A twig snapped.

Her bow string was once again taunt, ready to slay the demon if it dared approach.

"Who's there?" demanded a rather...masculine voice? What had happened to her voice? What the hell was up with that?

"Hello? Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3?" she whispered, "Okay, voice is normal."

"Don't make a move, demon!"

"Hey! I am_ not _a demon!"

"Prove it!" The voice sounded...amused?

"Why should I prove myself to a demon?"

"'Cause I say so, wench!.................Oops."

"Yeah, 'oops' is right, dog boy. What're you doing out here? It's the new moon, unless I'm dumb and blind."

"Who said you aren't?"

"Oh InuYasha!" She sang sweetly, "Sit boy!"

"Gah!"

Kagome watched smugly as the human-hanyou fell to the ground in a pink flash, causing a very nice crater.

"Why'd you do that for?" there was a whine from the area of the glow, "I think you broke a few ribs!"

"So?"

"I"M HUMAN, REMEMBER??????"

"Oops."

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Haha. Poor Yasha. R&R please!


	6. Chapter 5

**Owari Nai Yume; Unending dreams**

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!!!!T-T**

Stupid wench and her stupid incantation. Why the hell would she use it on him...On the night of the new moon, at least. Did she like him having to hang off of her as they walked back to the village? Did she like causing him so much pain? Damn, being human sucked worse than Naraku getting away all the time. If only he had been a full demon, than he would never have this pain, this vulnerability, these horribly strong human emotions. He had to wonder if he always felt them and they were merely amplified by his human blood, or if on his human nights was the only time he felt them. Even if he hated them, they had done him some good, like.......okay, so maybe nothing came to mind, but he was sure they had some use. Or not. He was probably looking too deep into them, or not deep enough. That was another thing he hated about being human. He could never make up his mind.

"You never answered my question."

He looked over at the girl as she replaced something she called 'a-da-vi-ra' in her bag. He had to admit, that stuff really took away the pain, even if it had been hard to swallow. He was glad, in retrospect and would never admit it, that Kagome, the sweet girl that she was (even if she _had_ been the one to cause the pain in the first place), was stubborn enough to make him take it.

"What question, wench?"

"What were you doing out by the well in the middle of the night while you were human?"

_Duh, wench, I missed you and wanted to go see you. Stupid human urges. When I'm a hanyou, at least I can crush them. _

"I was bored."

"Bored?"

_BORED!?_

"Just plain bored. There's nothing for me to do when you aren't here."

_Oh, shit! How the hell could I say that?! Being human sucks!_

"Yeah, I guess you need me to go shard hunting. I'm just a shard detector." she whispered the last part so he could hardly hear it with his human ears.

_Dammit, I've made her sad. Oh no, she's gonna cry! Think, InuYasha, THINK!_

"You aren't just a shard detector."

_Oh?_

"Oh?" Kagome asked looking over to him from across that fat, yellow bag she carried with her.

_Think, InuYasha, THINK!_ _What else is she?_

"Well...you aren't."

_Oh yeah, _real _reassuring InuYasha. That's really gonna help you. What next? Say that she's Kikyo's reincarnation? Do you have a death wish that I don't know about Inu-_

"You're my friend."

_Yasha?_

"And Sango's, and Miroku's. And you're Shippo's second mom," he added smoothly. "You're a key fighter in the pack. I mean, there have been demons you've killed when noone else could, and you nearly killed Naraku once. If your aim had been then what it is now, I don't think we'd be worrying about him at all, let alone having to deal with his incarnations, not that I'm blaming ya for missing or nothin'!"

_Damn human feelings! Damn stupid worthless weak human feelings! Stop before you say something _really_ bad!_ _That you can't take back or blame on the new moon!_

"We all need you, Kagome, especially me."

_Oh no, _now_ you've done it, you idjit! She's gonna ask what you meant and then..._

"InuYasha," she smiled sadly, "You're just saying that because it's the new moon, not that I don't think there'ssome truth in it, but..."

'_But'?_

"But, I think you should stop, before you say something you don't really mean, or'll regret, or whatever." She swallowed and smiled up at him. "Thank you for telling me that stuff though. It really..._really_...means a lot to me that you think that." She quiet for a few minutes before she stood and grabbed a spare blanket, draping it over him, saying something to the effect of 'don't want you to get cold' before she removed her shoes and grabbed a shorter blanket from her bag. "G'night InuYasha. Try to get some sleep, and let those wounds heal! We need you in full health if we're going shard hunting tomorrow."

"Feh." he snorted as the girl fell into a deep sleep.

_Sweet dreams, sweet Kagome. Stupid new moon and human feelings, making me think such stuff. Oh well, may as well live it up for now. Goodnight sweet, wondrous, pleasant smelling, kind, angelic Kagome._ _May all your dreams be peaceful._

* * *

She could feel them, her servants, the Kaze no Shimobe. They were near, and they had what she required.

She rose form the spot on the floor in the hut reserved for travellers she had been using for the last few days and left the hut, in a near trance, starving for her midnight meal, weakening with every step. She passed through the village, a ghost, never seen, never heard. The villagers were sleeping. They were not something she need fear. They all loved her, and she them, especially the children. She taught them about herbs during the day and told them tales at night. She wished she would be allowed to live her forever, but that monk...

She shook her head to release the thoughts and realized she had arrived at the stream she had been going to. Untying her hair, she let the ebony strands flow down her back, relaxed but disciplined. Everything about her was disciplined, even when she didn't need them to be, even when she wanted to relax, she couldn't. She always felt like she was on display, that even in her rare, private moments, someone saw her and judged her.

Always, but at her midnight feedings.

The Kaze no Shimobe surrounded her and deposited their loads into her body, the souls of young girls. She noted there was one missing, and was informed from one that it had been slain by a hanyou. Not to worry, it was merely one in a thousand. She could easily have more than that in a very short time.

Then, the monk came upon her, attacked her, and she defended herself well by sending his own sutra against him. As the monk died and his apprentice ran for dear life, she heard a sound from the bushes.

"Who's there?" she demanded, turning fiercely to them to reveal a young girl with a look of mortal terror on her face. "Sayo?" she asked in shock, "You were watching?" She approached the girl carefully, as one would a scared kitten so it wouldn't run away. "Sayo," she repeated as she knelt next to the girl, only for her to draw back in fear. "I am sorry." She whispered, "I have frightened you."

She stood and walked away from the dear child with a heavy heart, turning back as she neared the edge of the wood.

"Lady Kikyo?"

"Farewell," she replied sadly. She had had a chance for a normal life, but it had been ruined. She could not stay after that. "Forgive me."

_You will always be as my little sister in my heart...

* * *

_

_Sayo._

Sound.

A fire, quiet chatting, rustling of cloth, sizzling food.

Scents.

Herbs, food, sweat, old cloth, musky forest...Musky forest?

Kagome opened her eyes and saw red. The red of InuYasha's haori. That explained the scent, InuYasha's scent that she had come to know so well from her hours riding on his back. She prided herself on knowing his scent; a feat her incarnation had never mastered. And never would. She almost felt bad for Kikyo, never knowing her lover's scent, not that they had been lover's in the physical sense, and not so much in the mental sense. Not when Kikyo wante...

"'Bout time you got up wench."

She pulled down the haori and looked at her friends surrounding her: Sango looking grimly at Miroku, who had the largest, reddest hand print on his check, Kaede sitting by the fire looking over the morning meal, Shippo smiling at her from his spot next to Kilala, and InuYasha sitting by the door, hands in his sleeves, Tessaiga's hilt resting on his shoulder, golden eyes glaring at her.

"What time is it?" she yawned, noting the large amount of light streaming in from the door.

"Nearly noon."

"NOON!?!" she demanded, "Why in Ra's name did you let me sleep in til noon?!"

"You got to sleep _an hour_ before dawn, wench. I wasn't going to have you complain about being tired all day, and who is Ra?"

"Noone." she sighed. "I hadn't realized it had been that late. No wonder I was so exhausted." she smiled wearily at InuYasha. "Thank you InuYasha."

"Feh."

"How have ye been, child?" the old miko asked after a moment.

"Fine, thank you."

"Any more...dreams?"

"Uh, a few."

"What did you remember this time?" asked InuYasha with a most knowing look.

"I-I don't know what yo..."

"Yes, you do."

The silence that filled the hut was unlike any other she had ever felt. So much harder, so much colder, so much more painful than any silence, only it wasn't silent. Sango and Miroku were talking, Shippo was playing with Kilala, Kaede sitting and cooking, like none of them had heard InuYasha's comment. It was like she had imagined it, except for InuYasha. His eyes were locked on her's in the most intense, and softened look she had ever seen him give, and she could remember a lot about him, even if a lot of them weren't her memories.

"No, I don't."

"I see" he barely mouthed his response.

She nodded slowly, not wanting to remember what she did.

InuYasha's eyes lowered apologetically just as Kaede said the meal was ready. It was a quiet meal, for her at least. InuYasha said nothing, and neither did she, at least not to him. She forced herself to talk to Sango a bit, and of course Shippo demanded attention. After the meal, they set out for a village with a shard rumour, and the walk was even quieter. There was little talking, as the entire group could feel the tension between the girl from the future and their hanyou leader; feeling and not understanding. They both denied fighting, but Shippo had his doubts. It was nearly night fall when they finally reached a small village with its children still playing in the streets.

"Are we staying here for the night?" asked Sango, looking over at the monk.

"I see no tavern, or well off lodgings," the monk replied, "Perhaps we should sleep in the woods tonight."

"Yeah." agreed InuYasha, stopping. "This'll be a good place to set up camp. We can go into town tomorrow."

Kagome only half heard the others discussing plans for that evening. She stood stoic on the crest of the hill over looking the village, at the children, at a little girl in a yellow kimono decorated with orange flowers.

"Sayo."

* * *

Oooooooh! Nice. Poor Kagome's in denial. R&R. Oh, I have anouther fic up called "Unwilling"! Please R&R for that too! 


	7. Chapter 6

**Owari Nai Yume; Unending dreams**

**Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!!!!T-T**

He didn't like this one bit. Kagome had _lied_ to him. She had been distant for weeks, and now she **_LIED_** to him. He just wanted to help, and she said she had no idea what he was talking about. It was possible, he supposed, that she hadn't known, that his suspicion had been grossly wrong, but how was he to know? She had _smelt_ like a lie when she had told him _that_ earlier that morning. Even if he was wrong, she sure was hiding something. Maybe she was cheating on him with that Hobo guy, or she had some major family problems (the fact that she had all but forbidden him from speaking to her family seemed to support that), or maybe she had just decided that she wasn't going to trust him with anything ever again. Not knowing what was happening was driving him insane...and her away from him.

Maybe he needed to just sit her down and talk to her about this. Yeah, great idea. What would he say? _'Hi Kagome. Just wondering if you've been getting any of Kikyo's memories lately. Why? Just wondering. No, I don't want you to be her. I'm just worried. AND WOULD YOU JUST STOP WITH THE 'I'M JUST YOUR SHARD DETECTOR' CRAP!!!' _ Oh yeah, that was smart. Damn wench was too emotional and would never hear him out. He wished she'd just sit down and listen to what he had to say sometimes. When it came to fighting demons, he was invincible, but when it came to confronting Kagome, he was useless, and Miroku's advice wasn't for him. Yes, he had been so desperate that he had gone to the monk for advice. Even if he was a pervert, he _was_ a monk.....and he knew _a lot_ more about women than he did, or ever would most likely. It was him or Kaede, and the old hag sure wasn't useful.

Below his perch on the branch of a tree right near where he friends were camped. Glancing down through the foliage, he saw one of Kikyo's old soul snatchers approaching an awake and alert Kagome. He was about to leap down when he saw her stroke it and whisper to it something even he couldn't hear and stood. The phantasmal creature circled Kagome's waist and she smiled. **_Smiled!!!!_** What the #$$#!$ was going on here?(A/n. I've always wanted to do that! ) Before Kagome had even left the campsite, two more of the creatures had joined the first and they were leading her to the village.

Curious and frightened, he followed at a safe distance, just far enough so he wouldn't be seen, but close enough so if those things attacked, he'd be able to get to her before any major damage was done...he hoped. He had only fought one of those things once, before he had known Kikyo was still alive. He hoped he wouldn't have to dull his claws on any more.

Kagome and her escorts veered suddenly away from the village, Kagome's quiet laughter floating back to him. She was enjoying herself?! Kami, what kind of spell was she under? He nearly rushed out and scooped her up when more of the creatures joined her, but decided to wait. He wanted to know what was going on here. As he followed, more came out of nowhere, one passing right by him, more than he had seen before, or ever hoped to see again. The fact that Kagome greeted each new arrival succeeded in confusing him and infuriating him. He would not allow anything to happen to his Kagome. Nothing from any of the seven hells would stop him from protecting her. **_Nothing._**

Finally, the procession stopped by a bend in the river, a copse surrounded, and filled, with the soul snatchers. The ones around her waist left leaving her alone surrounded by the things. He had to admit, though, that Kagome looked rather pretty in the sparse moonlight.

"Kaze no Shimobe," she said clearly but quietly, "You have asked me to be your Mistress-"

_WHAT! WHEN THE FUCK DID THEY DO THAT?!_

"-and I have accepted. I am ready to receive the mark that proves to all that _I_ am your Mistress."

Before she had finished speaking, the things were all moving to her. One, he saw, had its mouth dangerously near her neck. He saw the jaws open and he acted.

"IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!!!"(A/n if anyone knows how to spell 'reaver', please tell me)

Kagome let out a small shriek as the first dozen fell dead. She watched with a look of pure horror when she saw him prepare for another strike.

"Sit boy!" she called, "Kaze no Shimobe, do not attack! This is a misunderstanding!"

"What the fuck do you mean, 'misunderstanding'!" he demanded from the ground, "I knew _exactly_ what I was doing!"

"You weren't saving me, if that's what you mean!" she retorted, kneeling down next to one of the dead things, "You killed them for no reason! They weren't going to hurt me! You are such a fool!"

"So what are you following these things for?!"

One of the things curled around her waist and cuddled into her neck. "I think you guys should leave. I will explain things to this one." The thing nodded and flew of with the rest obediently.

"So?" he asked standing, "I'm waiting for your explanation Kagome."

She ignored him and turned out to the river. "It was right here."

He looked around and blinked. "What was?"

"Kikyo killed that Monk here," she replied smoothly, "He stood where you do now, and I'm where she was..."

"How do you know?" he asked, almost reluctantly.

"I dreamt it last night," she replied not looking at him. "I remember at least most of her life and afterlife from dreams these last few months: Kaede's birth, her parents dying from a disease, her training as a miko, receiving the shikon no tama, meeting you, being revived...everything." She sat down and pulled up a handful of grass from the ground before throwing it into the flowing water. "Everything up to the night she killed that monk...but I know the rest will come...it does that..."

He came up to her side and sat next to her. So, he had been right. Somehow, it didn't feel all that good to be right.

"I bet you're wondering why I didn't tell you..."

"No," he replied, "I understand that you didn't want me to see you as her, but there was no need for you to be concerned with that. It's been a very long time since I saw you as anyone but you and-"

He was silenced when Kagome wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. Okay, this wasn't what he had expected. The scent of salt reached his nose as sobs shook Kagome's slender form. She was crying? That wouldn't do, not in the least. His Kagome wasn't made to cry, but he supposed the situation had to have been hard on her. Maybe, just this once, he'd let her cry, but she'd have to let him hold her.

When he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap, Kagome's body tensed for a moment but the tears didn't stopped . When he was sure she was comfortable, he began to rub her back with his large hands, overly gentle and careful. He was there to comfort her, not hurt her, and he'd stay there all night if she needed him to.

Shippo woke at first light to find the sleeping bag he had been sharing with Kagome was empty. His first reaction was a yelp, only enforced by the fact that her scent was hours old. The little kit began an expansive search around the camp and surrounding area, hoping to catch his mama's scent. When he returned, he immediately roused Sango and Miroku, hoping they could somehow help. By now, he was crying loudly and calling her name fiercely loud, praying she could hear him.

"It appears we will need InuYasha's help," Miroku stated after a few minutes, "Although I would have expected him to have heard us by now."

Sango nodded in agreement. "He doesn't normally sleep so late, either. The sun's already up and he's not telling us to hurry."

"Maybe he's missing too!" cried the kit, crying even louder, "OH! I'm really an orphan!!!My Mama and Papa have left me and I'll never see them again!!!"

"Could someone shut that kit up, please!!"

"InuYasha!!" grinned Shippo, "Inuyasha! Kagome is missing!! Mama Kagome is missing!! We have to find her!! Get down here and help us look!"

"If you don't shut up, kit, you're going to wake up Mama Kagome and she's going to be very mad at you!"

"_You_ know where Kagome is?" asked the demon slayer.

"Course I do, 'cause she's right here! Now shut up and let her sleep!!"

"I think it best if listen to him, Shippo," Miroku grinned a very un-monk-like grin, "I am certain InuYasha and Kagome exhausted themselves last night."

The monk was knocked unconscious by what appeared to be a fallen limb from the tree InuYasha's voice had been coming from, ten feet away.

"Nice shot InuYasha," called a grinning Sango, "Serves the letch right."

"I THOUGHT I SAID SHUT UP!" InuYasha silenced himself, realizing his yelling could wake the sleeping girl, especially since her head was on his chest. He froze as the girl shifted in her sleep, quietly moaning. He had to grab his haori, which had been acting as a blanket, before it fell off the branch. Before he could replace the cloth, Kagome opened her eyes and smiled at him sheepishly, realizing, even though half asleep, that they were in a rather intimate position, and that it wasn't the morning sun that stained his checks red.

"'Morning, Yasha," she smiled sweetly, "Sleep well?"

He nodded hesitantly. "You?"

"Wonderfully," she whispered, hiding her face in his neck, "I didn't dream at all."

He smiled and rested his chin on her forehead, unwilling to release her and go see their friends below. "I'm glad." He really didn't want Kagome to become Kikyo; he didn't know if he'd be able to handle losing her: the way she smiled at him, the way she walked, the way she thought, the way she looked at him, a look of absolute trust and caring and love. He had thought, not so long ago, that noone would ever look at him like that like that. Not since his mother died, not that Kagome reminded him of his mother or anything besides the fact that she didn't care that he was a half breed. She had said, just the night before, in fact, that no matter what happened, be it with her memories or with Naraku, she would always trust him and stay by him, no matter what, trust him and love him. He remembered how she had smiled when he had said that he'd always stay with her and trust her and protect her.

"Me too," she replied angelically, her breath warm against the skin of his neck, "Yasha?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we go down soon? I smell something good cooking," she gave a little laugh.

"What's so funny?" he demanded, careful to keep his tone good-natured.

"Mom would kill me if she knew about last night."

"Yeah, well humans don't seem to understand that sleeping with a member of your pack isn't necessarily...improper."

"Who says?"

"All demons," he replied flushing, "Often whole packs sleep together. It's necessary for survival sometimes."

"Last night was for survival?"

"No," he replied, "But it wasn't improper, was it?"

She looked up at him and gave what he could only describe as a tempting smile. "Wasn't it?"

He didn't reply. He wasn't sure how. Instead, he stood up and pulled a frightened Kagome up with him, all the while grinning evilly, and leapt off the branch. She had to learn he wasn't good at these kinds of talks.

"Care to warn me next time, Yasha?" she scolded as Shippo jumped into her arms.

"Who says there'll be a next time?" he scoffed.

"Kikyo didn't have a very happy afterlife."

"You can't blame that on me."

"I'm not," she replied sitting by the fire, "I just may want some comfort sometimes."

"Feh."

"What are you guys talking about?" asked a confused Sango as Shippo looked at the pair cautiously

Yea!!!!! Finally, Inu knows what's going on!! Now things get good!!!! R&R please.

OH! I know in chapter 4, I called the 'kaze no shimobe'(servants of the wind) 'shimobe no kaze'(wind of the servants) Silly Japanese error. 'kaze no shimobe' is the right one, and no, I don't know if that's really what they are called. I was fed up with calling them 'soul snatchers'.


	8. Chapter 7

**Owari Nai Yume; Unending dreams**

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!!!!T-T**

Things got back to normal, or as normal as things could with the amount of changes that had taken place, rather quickly, and everyone, even the ever wary InuYasha, started to appreciate the new skills Kagome used and the invaluable information she received from the Kaze no Shimobe, even if she only met them in secret at night with InuYasha hiding in the shadows, not that he knew she knew that she was following her. She hadn't told him she could feel him, even when she was on her side of the well. Then, she'd pretend she didn't realize he was following her to and from school or that he was on the roof as she slept or that he came into her room while she was asleep and just sit by the window, guarding her like he was her bodyguard, not that she minded. She thought it was sweet. She just wished he didn't run off before she woke up. She hated talking to herself.

But this morning..._this_ one morning, she was glad he hadn't stayed the night, and furious. She didn't want to see him, but felt compelled to. She didn't wait. She didn't dress, she didn't worry about the test she had that morning or the special breakfast she had promised Souta or even the meowing Buyo at his empty dish, she couldn't bring herself to even think about them. Not after _that_ memory, not after what Kikyo had done in the secret, only known to her and... him. If the fact that she had done _that_ wasn't bad enough, the fact that it had been with _him_ made her sick to her stomach so much so that she had to stop in the bathroom before heading for the well. Noone else was awake, so she had no explaining to do. Yet. InuYasha would be able to smell it on her breathe. She gurgled some mouthwash to stop that from happening. She wasn't sure if she wanted him to know everything yet.

She barely noticed it when she jumped down the well. She didn't notice the chill until her bare feet hit cool dew on the grass, but she kept moving. Her feet felt frozen by the time she reached the village and her arms weren't much better and her whole body was shivering in the predawn mist, condensation clinging to her skin and hair and pajamas. Her sight was clouded by the drops on her eyelashes but they soon joined the few warm tears rolling down her checks, unbidden but welcome. She had reached the dirt road outside Kaede's village before she finally saw the movement of a red being through the fog heading towards her.

When he was close enough that she could see him clearly despite the fog, she stopped, unsure and frightened. He was looking at her half shocked, half reprimanding. She froze under his golden gaze, suddenly feeling ashamed at being driven here for help and comfort she wasn't sure he could give her.

"What are you doing here Kagome?" he asked gently, yet dominantly. He had been doing a lot of that lately. "You're going to catch your death out here without something warm to wear. You wanna..."

"Oh InuYasha," she whimpered, closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around him, her face buried in his haori.

InuYasha said nothing, suddenly understanding, and lifted her gently, still concerned about her health. He tucked her head under his chin and carried her to Kaede's hut. It was the only place they could by indoors and away from unfriendly eyes, even if he knew he'd get teased for this by Miroku later if any of them woke up, but Kagome's shivering made up his mind. What had she seen this time? She had never run to him like that, not since he had plugged the well. The look on her face had been similar. Fear, loneliness, desperation. She was so fragile sometimes, and sometimes so strong. He never knew what to expect from her, tears or a chuckle. Kikyo had never been like that. You could 'set your watch' as Kagome said by her feelings. She was too predictable.

What was he doing? Comparing them when Kagome had come to him for comfort. He really was dense.

"Not the hut," Kagome whispered, tears choking her voice, "I don't wanna go there. Let's go somewhere else."

"Like where?" he asked a little harshly.

"Like that hut for the sick. You know, the one for the contagious. I hear they rebuilt it since your last visit."

"Who told you about that?!"

"Kaede and Shippo."

InuYasha flushed. Leave it to the old hag to tell her how he had endangered himself recklessly and the kit to tell her he had been missing her the whole time he had sent her away. Instead of answering her, he walked towards the empty hut on the outskirts of the village. When they reached it, he lay kagome down on the hay bed and sat next to her, her head leaning on his chest. He was glad the tears had stopped, but the pained look on Kagome's face hurt.

"Wh...what was it this time?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Just thinking about it makes me sick."

"How can I make you feel better if I don't know what's hurting you?"

She shifted her head so she looked straight into his eyes. "My soul was tainted by one of Kikyo's actions, that's all. I'll ask Miroku how to cleanse myself later, but right now..." she licked her lips and leaned up towards him, "Right now, I'm with you."

"Kagome? What're you-"

Soft warmth, sweet heat, lips on his, hands in his hair. Kagome was...kissing him? He didn't complain. Her soft touch was met with an equally tender touch from him as he eyes fell shut so he could better concentrate on the feel of her. She pulled back after a moment, gentle and breathless, and he allowed his eyes to open and his lips to smile softly.

"Kagome," he whispered before she drew him into another gentle kiss, and another, and another, each dreamy and chaste and deliciously lingering.

It was Kagome who finally realized the sun was rising. She put a finger on his lips to stop him.

"I didn't tell anyone I was going and I've got a test this morning," she whispered sensually, "I gotta go, but I'll be back this evening, okay?"

He nodded, realizing also that soon the others would be looking for him and he didn't want to be found here with her. He wasn't ashamed. Hell, he was anything but ashamed, but he was worried. He didn't want her hurt because of him. "I'll see you then, I guess," he replied, releasing her and helping her stand. "Want me to walk you to the well?"

She was already at the door. "No, I'll be fine, thanks." She looked over at him, kissed his check and walked out of the hut, calling quietly as she walked along the cool grass, "Love ya!"

* * *

Yeah! Fluff! Finally, I was starting to wonder when they'd get down to business. Oh yes, before I forget, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed this: Kagome9211, mouko-star, lovers quarrel, Cheese-is-good, SARAH, Anonymous, Teaniaea, SweetInuLover, linkinparkgurl101, aknightofni(love the name! Monty Python rocks!), and last, but not least, mari333. Thank you for your support! Everyone else, R&R!! 


	9. Chapter 8

**Owari Nai Yume; Unending dreams**

**Chapter 8**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!!!!T-T**

She smiled all day, through her mother's worried speech about leaving in the middle of the night, through her friend's talk of Hojo and other boys, through her test, which she felt rather good about, and even through Hojo asking her for a date. It wasn't until she felt InuYasha's aura at the shrine that she realized what precisely had happened that morning. She had told him that she... Maybe he hadn't heard, maybe he didn't think...what was she thinking? He had heard and then add it to what she had started...there wasn't much chance of misinterpretation, not that that was a _bad_ thing, she just wasn't sure if he was over Kikyo yet and...

"Hi Kagome."

She jumped at the sound of his voice and, clutching her shirt over her heart, she released a breath. "Hi InuYasha."

"What's wrong koi(love)?" he asked looking at her with concern, "You seem kinda pale. I told you you'd catch you're death out there this morning. If you aren't feeling well maybe you should-"

"I'm fine, InuYasha." _Did he just call me 'koi'? _"You just startled me, is all."

"Sorry."

"No problem," she replied smiling, "Just let me grab my stuff and we can go."

"No rush. I told the others we wouldn't be back till sunset at least."

_What's wrong? Why is he being so nice? Where is my rude crude hanyou? He's not going to be like this all the time is he? I mean, I know we kinda made out but he doesn't need to treat me so differently! _

"Great. How about you stay for dinner since we aren't in a rush? I know mom'll love having you."

"What about you?" he asked gently as he took her school bag, heaving the heavy thing effortlessly onto his shoulder. "Would you like to have me over?"

"I'd love to," she beamed.

"So I'll stay," he replied walking to the door ahead of her, "Noone's home. Normally at least your grandfather is."

"He and mom must've gone shopping," she replied awkwardly, "But they and Souta should be back soon."

He nodded and held the front door open for her before he walked in and she removed her shoes. Why was she suddenly so nervous around InuYasha? Maybe it had something to do with his rather odd manner or the soft smile or the completely relaxed look in his face and eyes. He wasn't acting his normal self.

"You're pretty quiet," he asked, his hand on her elbow, "How come?"

"You're acting...kinda..." She paused, unsure how to put it.

"Nice?" he asked and she nodded. "Yeah, I guess I am. Something wrong with that?"

"No!" she countered, "Nothing's wrong with being nice! It's just...you aren't like that a lot."

"Being 'nice' is a weakness I can't afford to show in my time. It could mean my death," he replied meaningfully, "like emotions. I won't risk people getting hurt because they have some obvious emotional connection to me."

"Like you and Kikyo," she whispered walking to the kitchen, "You hungry? I think we've got some extra ramen over here. Somewhere."

"I'm fine."

"Oh."

There was an awkward silence between them for a few minutes before InuYasha nodded towards the living room and they both sat on the couch, turning the tv on and flipping through the stations, InuYasha in control of the remote. She didn't mind. She just liked being close to her hanyou and he didn't seem to mind her leaning on him. InuYasha finally stopped on a station and wrapped his arm over her shoulders, her eyes closed as her head found comfort on his shoulder near his neck. They sat in calm silence for a few minutes before InuYasha chose to speak.

"Is that normal?"

"What?" she asked opening her eyes to see his face.

"What's on the tv."

She looked and blanched when she saw there was a rather steamy make out scene on the tv and InuYasha was watching it rather intently and curiously like he had seen things much better, or worse depending on your point of view. At least both of the participants were clothed...barely. It had to be some beach show. Why else would they be wearing bathing suits? No, scratch that. Those were off. She grabbed the remote and changed the channel.

"I guess it isn't."

"In my time, doing...that before you are married is quite normal," she said unfazed, "I just don't like watching those things. What if my mom came in? She sees you and me all alone, sitting together, watching that. She wouldn't be pleased. Trust me. Or Souta? He's too young for that stuff and he'd blab to mom and we'd be in trouble anyways. And don't get me started on gramps."

"So, it's normal?"

"Very. A lot of girls my age aren't virgins."

"Are you?"

"YES!" she called, removing her head from its former spot,"What kind of girl do you tink I am? I have some self-respect!"

"Hey, you just said it was normal to not be a virgin," he countered, not at all upset, "I wanted to make sure you followed your usual, un-normal lifestyle."

"What about me is un-normal?"

"The whole time-travelling thing?"

"Oh yeah," she mused relaxing her head down to his shoulder again. "How silly of me to forget that that's not normal. I guess I've been doing it so long I think it is normal."

"Same here, koi. Course, I'm more used to magic and junk than you were so it didn't strike me too odd."

"Yasha?" If he could call her 'koi', she could call him 'Yasha'.

"Yeah?"

"I can't imagine how boring my life would be without you."

"And I can't imagine how my life would have been if you hadn't freed me, though I could go without the 'sits'."

She chuckled. "Sorry Dog Boy, but _those_ aren't gonna stop anytime soon. They're _much_ too fun."

"For you maybe. They really hurt koi!"

"Suimasen aite,(sorry; lover, may mean mate)" she replied, "But when you transform, that's the only defence I have."

"What did you just..."

"Aite?"

"Yeah. Why did you..."

"You've been calling me 'koi' since you got here," she replied, still relaxed as he looked like he'd have a panic attack, "Did I go too far?" InuYasha began mumbling incoherently and she smiled gently. "Yes or no, aite?"

"Koi," he sighed sadly, "Kagome, We can't...I can't...When we're in front of anyone...it would be dangerous. Hell, out of my own lands it would be dangerous, even if we are alone."

She nodded, understanding. "But alone? And here 'cause I don't see how any of Naraku's spies could see us."

"We aren't that close, really," he mumbled.

"I know you heard me this morning," she whispered sweetly, "The only way you can get me to forget that is if you tell me this instant that you hate me and the only reason you kissed me was because you were thinking about Kikyo."

He was silent and she began to doubt what she had been thinking all day, ready to revert to her thoughts for the last year and a half. She could barely stop the tears she felt building as they neared the minute mark and he hadn't said anything. Was it really that hard to think about?

"I'm waiting," she whispered for fear that raising her voice would show the tears about to come. Still nothing. She sighed softly and stood, breaking the contact between them before she walked upstairs to her room, closing the door before collapsing face down on her bed. She just wanted to be alone for a while.

_How could I have been such a fool? Of course he doesn't care about me. This is why I should have never told him. I fooled myself into thinking I had a chance when it's clear I never did. I am such a fool!_

"Koi?" asked a voice as a hand touched her back, "What's wrong? I didn't say I hated you, so why are you said?"

"Leave me alone," she whispered.

"Dammit, Kagome, you said to tell you if I hated you and I didn't, did I?"

"You didn't say you didn't."

"You said nothing about telling you otherwise, koi."

"I thought you would understand that it was a free stage to tell me if you did care or not. One or the other. Why else would I do it?"

"I think there was a communication error. I've never been good with talking, koi," he replied, his hand gentle on her back, "You assumed that I'd know how to deal with the chance. I thought you'd have gotten the message ages ago that I don't know how to talk to people. Growing up alone does that to you. Forgive me?"

She rolled over and wiped away a few of her tears. "I guess. You gonna tell me what I asked you before?"

"I don't hate you, koi," he replied, "I wasn't thinking of Kikyo, and I think aite would be fine, so long as we are alone or in the presence of your family. I don't know how safe it is here."

She smiled and nodded. "Deal."

"Good," he grinned, leaning down and kissing her eyelids before following the trail of the tear down to her lips and lightly kissing her. The chaste kiss ended and he pulled her to a sitting position. "Your family's home."

"Great, aite. Let's go say 'hi'."

"Not yet," he replied drawing her into another kiss. "I'm in the mood for some," he leaned in and dried the last of her tears, "very nice smiles from my koi, if she would so honour me."

She laughed at him and smiled, ruffling his hair jokingly. "Oh, aite, what would I do without you?"

"Have another aite?"

"Yasha!" she laughed, shoving him off her bed. "That's not funny!"

"Nope, it's not because if you had another aite I'd have to kill him."

"Ah, but how could you kill him if we had never met?"

"Fate would intervene?"

"Really?" she asked disbelievingly.

"It's possible."

"Only in Fairytales."

"Life is a Fairytale. How else could you explain beautiful girl falling down a well to free and fall in love with a prince?"

"Eww! I do not love Koga!"

"I was talking about me, wench!"

"You are a prince?"

"_I'm_ heir to the Western Lands," he replied, puffing his chest proudly.

"Really? Inu-no nichan is a prince?"

"Sure am kid."

"Souta?" asked a blushing Kagome, "How long have you been there?"

"Since before you pushed him off the bed," declared the brave boy standing in the doorway.

"May I, koi?" he asked, looking to Kagome.

"Just don't hurt him to bad, aite," she replied, "He's only a human boy."

It was too late. They were already gone.

* * *

Ooooo. Long. Poor Souta. Two chapters on one day. Nice. R&R please. 


	10. Chapter 9

**Owari Nai Yume; Unending Dreams**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!T-T**

**Chapter 9**

Where was she? That morning, she had said she'd be back that evening and now the sun was setting. On any other day, he would have been there, dragging her back, but, today wasn't like _any_ other day, and there would surely be no other day like it for the rest of his life. He and Kagome had...he could barely even believe it, let alone that she had been the one to start it. She was Kagome, sweet, innocent, naive Kagome, not Kikyo, who had always been bolder than most, not that _that _kiss had shocked him any less. He knew if Kagome hadn't been there, noone would ever have known about it; it would have stay private, like matters such as that should, not broadcasted out to any and everyone, especially not Miroku.

Where in Kami's name was she? Why wasn't she there yet? Was sh in some kind of trouble with her family? Could they think that their meeting had been a tryst? Planned and regular? Kami, his was in deep shit. Girls whose chastity was doubted, in his time at least, would be killed to persevere the family honour. Kagome's time had so many differences, but surely that hadn't strayed. Even if it had, consorting with a half breed surely wasn't well thought of by her family, her grandfather in the least. The worst part was, if he said nothing, their suspicions would grow in the dark, hidden from view and if he went over and denied ever laying a hand on her their suspicions would grow like wildfire, or he might even implant the idea in their heads. He sure hoped that not saying anything was the right thing to do. Kagome wouldn't bring it up to her family, would she? She wouldn't kiss and tell, warping all the details so it looked like he had forced himself on her. Kami, that was the worst thought by far. Kagome would never do something like. It wasn't in her nature. But what did he know? He barely ever saw her and he distanced himself from her so much that there were times he felt closer to his brother than her. What if she thought him some beast, driven only by base instincts? Kami, he was crazy. She would never, ever think that. Kami, he needed to see her.

At that moment, her scent wafted to him from the well, causing him more confusion and confliction. Part of him wanted to yell at her for being late, and part of him wanted to swoop down and take her to the cave he had been preparing for years for the inevitability of taking a mate and mate her in the full sense of the word. He decided the former would be better, even if the latter had more things going for it. He wasn't an animal and he would prove it to her, and to himself.

The second she lifted herself out of the well, every thought of yelling her died. It wasn't his fault she was so goddamned beautiful. His new plan, brought on by his utter confusion, was to wait for her to talk.

"You're late."

He wasn't good with plans today.

"Sorry, I fell asleep," she said softly and sincerely, "I didn't sleep well last night and I was exhausted."

His turn. "Don't let it happen again." He did his best not to look at her. Her lips were still bruised from their overuse that morning. He hadn't remembered being rough.

"I won't. It was a freak accident," she said, playing the innocent card all too well.

Silence filled the clearing. Sure, he had had all day to plan, but he hadn't been able to believe that Kagome had kissed him until noon, the fact it had happened several times took until sunset, and from sunset on was the worry. It had been a rather full day for him and his head would hurt if he did much more thinking than was necessary to survive this encounter. Besides, plans were left to Miroku, the perverted but wise, Sango, the young but experienced and Kagome, the odd but great kisser. No, he meant gorgeous, no, he meant bosomy, no warm? Sensuous? Voluptuous? Luscious?

"Kaede's making dinner." Curvaceous? Sensuous? Decadent?

"Great. I'm starved."

"Me too." Luxurious? Sensational? Tender?

"So let's go," she smiled as he leapt out of his tree.

"Feh." he replied, already walking.

Sightly? Alluring? Beautiful? He didn't know, she just was.

* * *

Miroku sat meditating on a hilltop just out of the village. Here, he could be alone, have a wonderful view of the village girls as they walked in the light of the setting sun, and meditate, even if he didn't always do so. He did so every night after dinner and noone ever bothered him.

That's why Kagome's visit surprised him so. The fact that she needed spiritual help only added to that shock.

"How may I help you, my friend?" he asked, trying to sound as monk-like as possible as he tried to look up her skirt, which was shorter since she was sitting.

"My soul has been defiled and I wish to cleanse it."

He visibly faltered. "Pardon?" She repeated herself, ignoring his shock. "I see," he tried to re-compose himself. "How was it defiled?" He saw her look away. "I must know if I am to help."

"You can't tell a soul," she said, a threatening glint in her voice, "Especially not InuYasha. Do you swear?"

He mentally faltered. Kagome did not often ask him to hide anything. "I swear or I shall never bare an heir."

She nodded, apparently satisfied with his pact. "Kikyo was...She had her spirit mingle with Naraku's and my soul carries his taint."

He kept himself cool. If it had to do with Kikyo, he wouldn't dare tell InuYasha. "How did they mingle?"

"You're the pervert. Think as perverted as you can get."

"You don't mean they..." he couldn't even finish the thought. She nodded. "And she..."

"Was willing."

He had to resist the urge to vomit. The very strong urge. He didn't think he could make it. Naraku was evil to the core. To be so close that you had a part of him in you... It was more than anyone could handle. If someone without powers could sense the evil in him, a priestess with strong powers would rather die than be near him. He felt a strong wave of sympathy for Kagome. She was the one with the memories, and the images! He was a pervert, but the thought that Naraku could do something so...human disturbed him. Finally, he recovered from his bout of nausea and looked to Kagome.

"How deep do you feel that the taint is?"

"Deeper than I know now. I expect there may have been..." she paused and looked to the ground, "consequences, though I can't be sure."

"Kami help us," he whispered and she nodded in agreement. He searched deep in all of his years of training. He'd need it all to help his friend, and then some. He may have to somehow convince InuYasha to head out in the direction of Mushin's temple to get her the help her soul so needed, and he'd have to watch Kagome in their encounters with Naraku from then on. He couldn't let her believe, even for a moment, that Naraku was not a foe. Kikyo's feelings may very well destroy their chances of beating Naraku. This was sure to cause problems. In the mean time, he really couldn't hold the urge to vomit anymore. Unfortunately, Kagome's skirt didn't save her legs from it.

"EWWWW!" Kagome screamed, looking with disgust at the unpleansent...gift Miroku had given her. "Do I _look_ like a bush to you!"

"I'm so sorry, Kagome! Perhaps I can help you wash that-"

"No way, hentai."

"What happened?" demanded the wind as InuYasha appeared, sword drawn, "Why'd you...oh. Uh, I'll get your bathing things for you."

"Thanks, InuYasha."

He didn't even flick an ear as he stalked off and she resigned herself to looking at the sunset until he got back.

"Miroku?"

"Yes, Kagome?"

She shook her head. "Never mind. It's not important, I just have been having trouble with telling which of my dreams are mine or her's. Mine can seem...so life-like."

"Perhaps it was a premonition?"

"Maybe." She doubted it.

"Wench, I got your stuff," called InuYasha, appearing from the bushes. "Sango says she meet you there."

She stood up and grabbed the bag. "Thanks InuYasha."

"Feh," he snorted as the girl disappeared down the hill.

The two men stood in silence for a few minutes.

"Monk?"

"Yes InuYasha?"

"How do you know if a girl likes you?"

"Are you speaking of Lady Kagome?" The hanyou didn't reply, but Miroku could see the blush. "She does like you, trust me on that. She has all the classic signs."

The hanyou sat down a fair ways away. "Like what?"

Miroku grinned. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Hi! Incase you didn't get it, ch8 was a dream. Originally, it was going to be real, but I posted it before I thought it through and it didn't fit with what I wanted, but I promise, the fluff has started. R&R abd keep reading! 


	11. Chapter 10

**Owari Nai Yume: Unending Dreams**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!T-T**

**Chapter 10**

Her pets were being overly anxious that night, overly intimate, overly aggressive, overly possessive. They were circling tighter, she more often felt the cold fur touch her skin, they more often showed their flat teeth and let them graze over her bare skin, their tongues breaking through to taste her far too often. She was at their mercy, unsure of her own thoughts, she was flooded with theirs, a collective song of something mystifying and so clear. She wanted to speak, tell them to slow or to stop or to speed, but one of her pets held her lips closed with firmly gentle teeth. She was their's and as they caressed her, she felt amazingly calm. The sudden pain of mouths biting down into her flesh tore her from her complacency and she screamed despite the guard in pain and in pleasure. They flew away into the dark night sky as she fell shivering and bleeding to the grass below her forgetting to breathe as the scream died away, swallowed by the dark.

The trees rustled restlessly as a figure appeared in the copse, his white hair shining and hiding his face, cautious and concerned. He approached her and held her close to him as he searched her form for signs of injuries his hand rolling gently through her hair before he removed his coat and covered her bare form with it. As she lowered from the plane her mind had been in, flooded by the toxins of her pets, she became aware of first the warmth, then of his body, then, at last, of him, quiet and clumsy above her, rubbing constantly one of the better placed bites. To many were in awkward spots for him to dare attend more.

"Kagome?" His voice was gentle and worried. "Are you okay?"

"I am," she replied, her voice distracted and sultry, "Are you?"

She saw the lights that showed his eyes disappear a moment and return. "Yeah. What happened?"

"I was ravaged by my pets. I think," she paused and brushed away a stray hair from his face, "I think they made me their Mistress."

"What happened to your clothes?" he asked after a moment.

"What do you think? Torn and destroyed, never to touch my skin again," she whispered leaning up and pulling herself to a seating position on the ground. "What did you discuss with our resident monk as I bathed this evening?"

She could feel him blush. "Nothing."

"Was it about this morning?" she inquired, "Did you tell our friend how I forced myself on you?"

InuYasha was silent, and she had no idea how her comment had been received. His face was dark, hidden from the light of the moon by his hair, and he was silent. He didn't need to speak to make her understand.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, turning away. "I hadn't planned on it. It just happened. I didn't mean to-"

Something cut her off. There was no air. She couldn't breath! Something was on her lips, hot and crushing, consuming her with unnatural heat. It took her a second to understand and assess the situation and another to respond. The air returned and she struggled to breathe.

"Kagome," the voice was soft and the breath was warm on her skin, "if I hadn't wanted you, I could have made you stop."

"I'm not Kikyo," she whispered, "I may have her memories, but I'm not her!"

"I don't want you to be."

"I'm not a replacement, either!"

"Course not."

She let him kiss her again as she leaned back on the cool grass. It would be a long, but pleasant, night.

Kagome opened her eyes and saw the roof of Kaede's hut. Another dream, another few moments of disbelief. The first part had happened. The Kaze no Shimobe had done that that evening, and InuYasha had heard her scream, but the conversation had been totally different. It had been more along the lines of 'are you okay?' and 'I think so'. Clothing had been mentioned, but there had more silence than anything else. The morning before had caused a few kinks in their way of life, but she wasn't going to bring it up. She couldn't stand the rejection yet. Not when Kikyo's memories were showing her a side of Naraku she didn't want to know. So what if he wrote poems or gave her flowers? Hojo could do that! And so could Inuyasha, if he really tried.

That sorted out, she looked around the hut to see Shippo still sleeping under the sleeping bag, Sango and Miroku sleeping on opposite sides of the hut, an alert hanyou at the door, and Kaede behind her. She looked back quickly at the hanyou, still standing in the doorway.

"I thought you were sleeping on the roof," she said quietly, only half daring to look at him.

"It's raining."

She froze and looked away, inspecting her sleeping bag. She was suddenly aware of the rain hitting the roof.

He sat next to her and she swallowed discreetly. She didn't want to be, but she was extremely nervous. Naraku had used a technique very similar to this to...

"Kagome?"

"Yeah?"

"It's nearly dawn. Maybe you should try to get back to sleep."

She shook her head. She knew it was already too late. "I've never been very good at getting to sleep right after I wake up."

"We'll be travelling pretty far tomorrow so don't complain about being tired."

"I won't," she replied softly, almost nervously. Even she heard the quiver in her voice. "InuYasha?"

"Yeah?"

"May I..."

"What?"

"May I lean my head on your shoulder? Maybe it'll help me fall asleep or..."

InuYasha's arm went behind her back and pulled her close enough to lean on him and then some. She moved around a bit until she was comfortable, a bit surprised at his spontaneity. Despite the comfort, it didn't help her fall asleep and she found herself thinking about the morning before. Had she done the right thing? Was she doing the right thing by ignoring it? Would she and InuYasha ever be able to forget about it and move on into their old friendship? Or would it cause InuYasha to see her as Kikyo all over again and she'd lose him to a part of her that wasn't even her?

"Kagome?" InuYasha asked after several silent minutes.

"Yeah?"

"Are you...happy with me?"

"Of course I am, InuYasha. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I'm...not always nice to you."

"Then you have moments like this, when you just hold me and everything is fine," she whispered, snuggling closer to him, "I like you Inuyasha and I know you don't mean everything you say to me. There are times when you're just being tough, but then you let your guard down, and you're so wonderful to be around. I only wish we could have more minutes like this."

"So do I," he whispered, his nose digging into her hair. "I've never met anyone who didn't care about my being a half demon. Or Naraku."

She froze when Naraku's name was mentioned. "Naraku being a half demon has nothing to do with his being evil."

"No," he replied slowly, "But I suppose his being evil isn't enough to stop you from caring."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything."

"What's wrong InuYasha?" She was truly concerned. InuYasha wouldn't have mentioned Naraku without reason. Did he know? Had he overheard her talk with Miroku?

He pulled her closer. "Just promise you won't leave me no matter what. Please?"

"I swear, InuYasha. No matter what happens, I won't leave you."

"Good." He swallowed gently. "Try to get some sleep, won't you Kagome?"

She nodded as he walked back out into the rain despite her calling him back.

InuYasha stood impassive as the rain ran over him. There had been something horrible in Kagome's reaction to Naraku's name. Guilt and, he hated to admit it, arousal. She liked Naraku like that, but she liked him like that. He didn't want to see it that way, but maybe, she was a flirt and she was just looking for someone to sleep with. Was her honour even intact? He wasn't sure anymore. That morning had confused him horribly, and now it was worse. Kagome had all but asked him to court her by his time's standards and she was off fantasizing about their arch-foe.

What was he saying? Kagome was a sweet, innocent girl. He would have smelt if her honour had been sullied even if she bathed. The scent of a male's claim was sure to resist washing for maybe a week or so, even a weak human claim. Why her scent had changed was beyond him. Maybe he had somehow touched her as he had spoken and she had reacted to that? Maybe she had been thinking about him. She had just said she liked more time alone with him. Was it too much to know if she liked him like that? Would he in a million years be able to ask her? What in Kami's name was he going to do? There were just so many questions and not nearly enough answers.

The rain slowed to a trickle as the east began to brighten. A new day, the same old mess.

Travel had been easier than usual, and quieter. The rain the night before had been enough to keep the dust down but not enough to make the roads muddy, or too muddy anyways. Shippo playing with Kilala at lunch and coming back covered in mud didn't make anything, besides the forbidding of riding on Kagome that afternoon, come about. Kagome spent some time talking to Miroku quietly about herbs and incense and the like while Sango tried to talk to InuYasha. Needless to say, it wasn't going well.

"I really don't see how you could stand right outside the hut for three or four hours _in the rain _and not come in. What was _so_ important that you risked getting _sick?"_ She left 'and putting us behind in our shard hunting' unsaid.

"I needed to think."

"Couldn't you have done that _inside?"_

"Not with Kagome awake."

"So, you're blaming her?"

"Yes."

Sango watched his blank face for a moment as they walked in silence. "Did something happen between you two?"

The panic that ran across his face showed utter terror.

"Not much more than me finding her naked after those things turned on her."

She sighed. He wasn't going to tell her straight out. "I missed you yesterday morning. You weren't on the hut when I woke up like you usually are."

More panic. So that was when it had happened.

"Kagome showed up and cried on me because of one of Kikyo's memories. I was off with her."

"And what happened? Details man!"

"Since when are you a Miroku!"

She grinned evilly. "So something worthy of Miroku happened?"

"N-n-no!" He stuttered, "Th-that's just something Miroku would say!"

"You're blushing." She had to admit it was kind of cute, if freaky, when InuYasha blushed. "What happened after she stopped crying?"

He mumbled something under his breathe and turned away, his face redder than his haori.

"I didn't catch that."

"She kissed me!" he shot through his teeth, practically hissing.

Sango froze. "Pardon?"

"She kissed me. A lot. Happy now?"

That hadn't been what she had been expecting. "How did you react?"

"How do you think?" He was still hissing. "I kissed her back. But it doesn't mean anything."

"What do you mean?" she demanded harshly, but quietly. "That was her first kiss! Of course it means something!"

"She wasn't kissing me." He looked ahead forlornly.

"Of course she was! She loves you, you oaf!"

"She was kissing Naraku."

Sango froze again and actually stoped walking. She had known InuYasha had an inferiority complex, but to think Kagome wanted Naraku was just plain STUPID! Kagome hated Naraku, and that was saying a lot. Kagome hated noone.

"Wh-what makes you say that?"

"Last night I mentioned him and I smelt arousal off of her and," he licked his lips and looked to the ground, "and when I was outside I heard her calling him. That proof enough?"

InuYasha marched ahead leaving Sango behind to think as Kagome and Miroku came up from behind her.

"Hey, Sango! Something wrong? Where's Inuyasha going?"

Violent

"We need to talk Kagome."

"About?"

"You kissed InuYasha."

Kagome froze and Miroku gaped. "You did not tell me this Kagome. When was this? Before or after that dream?"

"A-after, but-"

"The dream with Naraku?"

"How do you-"

"InuYasha heard you."

Kagome clapped her hands over her mouth and shook her head violently.

"He just told me. He thinks you want Naraku and was kissing him. Mind telling me what you were doing _ DREAMING_ about him?"

"This is a problem, isn't it Kagome?" asked Miroku solemnly. "I recommend you tell InuYasha what is going on before he gets to far."

Kagome nodded and moved to catch up with InuYasha when they saw he had stopped ahead and was sniffing the air, his hand on Tessaiga's hilt. The next instant, Inuyasha was thrown over and a figure in a white baboon fur was headed towards them, more specifically, Kagome. Before Inuyasha was up, the puppet had her and was running off into the woods. The hanyou was the first to register what had happened and he expressed himself the best way he knew how; a heart wrenching cry:

"Kagomeeeeeee!"

Sorry for taking so long to update. Problems with school and junk. Did I get this angsty or what? RR please.


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!T-T**

**Chapter 11**

He recovered himself almost as soon as he had cried out. Kagome wanted to be with Naraku so why fear? Wasn't part of caring letting go? He would have just looked away and let him have her, if it were Koga. At least he knew she'd be alive for a while, but this was Naraku and Naraku liked to try to kill Kagome. He had tried at least twice. Tsubaki and Kohaku. Naraku would kill Kagome now that he had a chance, and Kagome had the jewel shards. He couldn't let Naraku have them.

But something still kept him from running ahead and getting her. She had been able to get back to sleep that morning and her quiet moans and breathless name calling was still in his mind. Naraku. How did he know now that Kagome was alone with him she wouldn't give him the shards, sleep with him, and when he came in say Naraku had stolen the shards and raped her as the demon escaped? Could he trust her to keep the jewel shards safe?

"What are you waiting for InuYasha?" asked Shippo from his shoulder, "We have to save Kagome!"

Kagome? Who cared about some weak human girl? The only reason he was heading after Naraku was for the jewel shards. Kagome could stay with Naraku for all he cared. He wanted the jewel.

* * *

"LET ME GO, YOU STUPID PUPPET!"

"I'm afraid I am no puppet, my dear Kagome. I am the real thing."

Kagome went stiff and swallowed. "Wh-what do you want with me?"

Naraku chuckled coldly as he stopped outside a cave and put her on her feet in front of him. "I think you know."

Alarm bells went off in her mind. "N-no I don't. Give me a hint."

"Ah, Kagome." The man wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his chest, and covered her with the baboon fur. "You will be such fun. So much fire." He sniffed her neck before slipping his tongue over her skin. "Much better than Kikyo. Even InuYasha agrees. His scent is strong here. Tell me, have you slept with him yet?"

Kagome tried to push herself away from him, but she couldn't escape his grasp. "I don't see how that is any of your business!"

"I want to know if I will be taking your virginity or not. Is that so hard to understand?"

She flushed as he pulled her closer to him, his arms safe around her waist. Stupefied, she didn't move when he began to kiss her neck, but she was panicking. Where was InuYasha? Why wasn't he there yet? What was she going to do if he didn't come?

"Am I to take it I will be?" His voice was low and husky and dangerous.

She couldn't move. Was she under some kind of spell? What was wrong with her? She leaned her head to one side and she felt Naraku smile on her skin. There was a feeling building up in her stomach, hot and immediate. He was causing it, she knew it was him. She had never felt anything like it.

Oh no. She had. The morning after the first dream with him. She turned around so she faced him in the embrace and grinned her widest before she let out what had been building up inside her. Naraku released her in disgust as the vomit hit his face and coated his chest. She smiled as she choked up the last bit, pouring it where Naraku's feet had been a moment before. She chuckled evilly as her captor tried to clean himself up. He wasn't happy, that's for sure.

"I'm soooo sorry, Naraku," she said stiffly, "but I can't stand being within ten feet of you because I get nauseous and touching you makes me barf. I don't think I'd be a very good lover. You'd have to bathe a hundred times a day. Now, will you let me go?"

Naraku smiled coldly and Kagome's hope of winning was defeated. Naraku wasn't going to give up that easily. She was still in panic mode and Naraku's placid face wasn't helping. She suddenly had it in her mind to run and she did for a few feet before she hit a barrier, the translucent mirror flexing and bending slightly where she touched, warping the outside view. Naraku's barrier, one of the strongest in existence. As Naraku smiled at her as she ran her hand over the surface, she felt more panic. She was locked in with a monster and he had the only key. She felt tears roll down her cheeks, hot and slow, mingling with sweat. Why wasn't Inuyasha there yet? What if...what if he wouldn't come? What if he was so sure she wanted Naraku that he wouldn't come? Were the jewel shards enough for him to try?

Was there nothing she could have done earlier to make him know what was going on? Had she been wrong in hiding that from him? Now, because of that foolishness, that stubbornness, she was going to be stuck here with Naraku, touched indecently, and worse, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. The best she could truly do would be to somehow allow the part of her that was Kikyo to rise up and control her so she wouldn't have to live through it. Perhaps that was cowardly, but she had never said she was even half as brave as InuYasha, or Miroku, or Sango, or even Shippo. She was just a frightened little girl that could have some brave moments when she saw others in danger. When she was in danger, she always relied on InuYasha to save her. What kind of person was she? A coward. A yellow bellied coward that got her friends in trouble because she couldn't defend herself or help herself. Kikyo was right, and so was InuYasha. She was weak and stupid and pathetic and, and, and just plainly a child! A child, a baby, useless. InuYasha sure knew her to a 't'. She was just a stupid wench.

But this stupid wench was going to fight back.

She lifted herself off of the ground and wiped away her tears. They could only serve to give Naraku the pleasure of knowing she was faltering and that he was getting to her. She would not allow that. Somehow, she would help herself, or at least stall until InuYasha finally arrived. 'Until', not 'if'. He would come, if only for the shards. She would show him that she wasn't as weak as he thought she was. She would prove to them all that she could take care of herself. Hopefully.

She studied the situation. Naraku hadn't made a move, she was at the edge of a barrier, rescue may, or may not, be on its way, and she had to somehow get Naraku to either drop the barrier or leave. That didn't sound too hard. Step one, lull him into a false sense of security.

"Naraku?" She turned to him.

"Yes, my dear?"

Her mind was racing. "Is there any way I could somehow get something to eat? It may help settle my stomach."

"There's food inside the cave, if you would lead the way."

"But the fresh air will also help my stomach. I'd like to have it settled before-"

"Kagome, Kagome, Kagome," he sighed in a chiding tone. "Do you think I am such a fool as to allow you out of my sight for even a moment? We are still enemies in your thinking after all."

"That may have something to do with the fact that you have tried to have me killed several times."

"You were on the wrong side, my dear, but do not worry. The attempts on your life will cease, " he paused, "on a condition."

"What kind of," she gulped as Naraku came closer, "condition?"

"You no longer side with Inuyasha, help me find all the jewel shards, and, of course, become my lover." He said it like it was obvious. "Of course, I cannot promise the same treatment for your friends. I cannot allow myself to be killed so easily. It would look so very bad, don't you agree?"

"I...suppose."

"So, do we have a deal?"

"I'm afraid that I cannot ever, no matter the motivation, side with you. It goes against everything I believe in. The innocent shouldn't have to pay for evil to gain more power. It is just plain wrong."

"Sticking to your values, eh?" Naraku chuckled as his hand ran along her cheek. "I didn't see such dedication in Kikyo. You have such a fire about you," he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Such a beautiful fire. So different from Kikyo's ice. You would be much better, of that I have no doubt." He pulled away and grinned widely. "It's a pity I'll have to kill Inuyasha when he comes to get you. I'm sure he'll be so glad to know you betrayed him and gave me the jewel shards."

As he spoke he grabbed the bottle from the cord around her neck. She grabbed his hand before it got too far. "I will not, under any circumstances, allow these jewel shards to enter your possession. It's my responsibility to protect them and I will, even if I have to purify you to do it."

"So purify me, little miko. I'd love to see you try. I am much stronger than the last time you tried."

"Really?"

He grinned for a moment before she began to tap into her powers, following Kikyo's training to the letter. It didn't come with the resistance she had expected, but willingly flooded her. She was careful as she focussed it through Naraku from the had she held to her hold on his other arm. The form of Naraku convulsed violently before she released him and allowed him to fall to the floor. He was panting and babbling incoherently under his breathe. A part of her, the Kikyo part, told her to kill him now, before he recovered and killed her, but the other part of her knew that the honour had been reserved for InuYasha or Miroku or Sango when they had been wronged and discovered Naraku's deceptions. She had no right to kill him, not even to avenge Kikyo's deaths. She wasn't Kikyo.

The barrier lowered as Naraku whined and she felt pity for the abomination. She hoped InuYasha would come and put the thing out of its misery, though a part of her thought that InuYasha would have qualms about finishing off her opponent. Perhaps he would want to wait for another day, for the fight he had been preparing for this last year and a half. InuYasha deserved his head, even if she could easily take it now. She didn't want the head, nor the life; she wanted Naraku to suffer, and suffer he would, even if she had to do this a million times until the hanyou found her. InuYasha would be so proud if she tortured him.

She knelt down and took hold of a hand and placed a hand on his back. "Naraku, you poor, _poor_ thing. Do you see now all the pain you have caused all those you have made to suffer? Do you feel it?" She let another wave of purifying energy through him and she laughed as he trembled, helpless on the ground. She stopped the flow. "Do you, you vile creature? Oh? You want me to stop? How do you think we feel when you torture us by bringing back Kohaku or destroying another innocent village? Do you stop? Will you ever stop? I truly doubt it Naraku. You are the worst kind of scum there is. I would kill you right now if the honour hadn't been claimed by InuYasha oh so long ago. The first day he heard your name from Miroku, actually. I can't deny him that pleasure, now can I? That would be so cruel. Much too cruel, don't you agree?"

"Kagome?"

"It speaks! The creature wishes to beg? Beg for forgiveness from your mistress, won't you? Come on, beg. Be a good evil creature and beg." She paused as the form below her whimpered, impassive and grinning. Naraku didn't deserve this. He deserved much, much worse. But what more could she do? She didn't have the authority to say he should die, even if it was common knowledge. Besides, killing him would avenge Kikyo's death. Why should she avenge what she was glad was gone? Kikyo dying left Inuyasha for her, and her alone. "Come, my creature, speak again, or do you loath your life so much that you wish it to end? Do you desire this pain for I shall not kill you. It is not my death to deal. InuYasha has claim to that. And Miroku, and Sango too, but not me. I leave the honour for them. Can you understand that?"

"Kagome, stop this."

"You dare to speak to me in InuYasha's voice? Do you think that will gain you pity?" She laughed now, coldly and cruelly. It sent a chill up even her spine. "It will only serve to prolong your suffering. But you want that, don't you, you sadistic, abhorrent creature, imperfect blend of man and demon? That has always been what you have wanted. The pain, the anger, our hate fed you, didn't it? We made you stronger, you poor thing. You couldn't help but feed on that, could you?" Her mood and tone were now soft and sad. "I pity you, creature. You can not have helped your creation. You did not ask to come into this world, did you? You are not as Onigumo intended, so long ago. He desired me then, then you, then you desired _me_, this form, this body, this soul... This soul, this no longer pure soul. You have done well in tainting it." She paused as a sob broke through and tears flowed down her face. "What threat am I now? A tainted miko..."

She stopped and removed her hands from Naraku, turning her eyes away from the body. "Tainted? Is that what I have become? Defiled, un-pure, vile? Am I any better than you? Have my hands not caused all these deaths? Was it not my arrow that broke the jewel? Am I not the cause of Shippo's parents dying and Sango's village being destroyed? Some say the jewel shards, I say, I am the cause of the jewel shards, I am the jewel shards, I caused so much suffering. What kind of miko is that? Am I even worthy of calling myself a miko?" She paused and swallowed hard. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Have I been blind to that? Have I been doing my best to help this world? Have I been helping? It feels as if I am the cause of all this." She was barely whispering.

"Kagome..." The voice of Inuyasha once more.

"Kagome!" Shippo?

"Lady Kagome." Miroku?

"Please Kagome," Sango? "let down this barrier."

She turned her head away from her hands and towards the voices, behind her. She froze when she saw her friends there, standing beyond a glowing pink barrier. Sango, with Shippo on her shoulder next to Miroku, all beside and behind InuYasha, golden eyes hurt and pain filled. They had heard it all, every word, every action, everything. They were all shocked and sad and hurt and, and...

She clutched to the red jacket as a lifeline, holding it so tightly she was sure she would never let go. She was crying too, wailing really, and saying 'I'm sorry' endlessly under her breathe, as if it were a chant to save her soul, her life, herself. She could feel that evil that had held her slipping away finally, away into the ever lasting dark abyss that claimed all things eventually. It wasn't what she had wanted, truly. She hadn't meant for it to happen, really. Really I didn't. Believe me, please? Please? I'm so sorry, so sorry, so sorry. Please, don't leave me. Please stay with me. Please? Please? What have I done? Please stay? Please?

Please..?

* * *

I would like to apologize to my readers who have been waiting for updates for the last few months, but I had some technical difficulties. I will, therefore, be updating most of my fics and put some of them on hold, meaning only that they'll be updated slower. I would like to apologize for the delay and wish to assure you it will not happen again in the near future. Thanks. SY 


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!T-T**

**Chapter 12**

They had watched on helplessly through the barrier as Kagome tortured Naraku and herself. There had been nothing they could do. He hadn't even thought of using Tessaiga. Tessaiga was only used against evil, in Kagome's defence, more often than not. What he saw was almost like seeing her possessed, but this was much worse. It had been her, she hadn't been possessed, she wasn't under some spell, that was Kagome, his innocent Kagome. His Kagome was capable of such things? It had never entered his head that she could do such a thing. Not in a million years would it have ever entered his head, but there it was. When she finally noticed them, even a little before, she had seemed herself. And now, well now she was holding onto him like a child, crying like an infant. Like she was the one who had been hurt.

She smelt like Naraku. On her neck his scent was strongest, but it was all over her, nearly drowning out her own scent at times, but he could still smell her. She was terrified. He could smell it clearly, pouring off of her, radiating out of her every pore. Her sobbing was scared, but not so much of Naraku. She seemed scared of herself and she was begging for forgiveness. Begging. Stalwart Kagome reduced to grovelling. He had never thought he would see that day either. She was trembling, even before she had grabbed onto him, but now that she clung, he could feel the shaking clearly. She was scared and he wasn't helping. Times like these, he felt useless. He was useless. He was her guardian, and he had failed her. Failure was not something he accepted from others, let alone himself. He held the girl close and silently asked for her forgiveness. He wouldn't say it aloud. He couldn't. His pride wouldn't let him. Not in front of the others. When they were alone, maybe.

"Kagome? How do you feel? Did Naraku hurt you?"

She shook her head against his chest. "Just scared me, and I guess I over reacted. I didn't mean to do that..."

"I know, Kagome," he whispered, "I know. Do you think we can get going or do you need a few more minutes?" He didn't want to be there when Kagura or someone found him, but he didn't want to force anything on Kagome.

"I need a bath," she whispered, oblivious to his question. "I can feel Naraku's filth all over me. Make it go away. Please, make it go away."

He nodded and released her before helping her onto his back. She was in no condition to walk and he wanted to get moving. After motioning Sango and Miroku to lead the way and making sure Kagome was comfortable, the group began to walk through the forest, back to the road. The final battle would have to wait for another day.

* * *

As the sun set on the little clearing, a strong wind blew through it, throwing some of the coloured leaves to the ground. A large white feather appeared, carrying two young women, one, a child, pure white holding a mirror and the other, older, pale with dark hair holding a fan. The older looked at the cowering form of their master with disgust as the child watched impassively.

"Really, Kanna, you'd think Naraku could handle one human girl."

"Kagome is no ordinary mortal, Kagura. She is something special. Is she not the same girl that broke my mirror and prevented you from killing InuYasha?" Her tone was flat as Kagura flinched. "She has a destiny different than we shall ever see."

"Whatever," Kagura snorted rudely as she lifted the body onto her feather. "Let's just get him to the castle."

* * *

The pale moon shone high in the night sky, surrounded by the millions of tiny gems called stars. The quiet call of an owl off in the distance marked the midnight hour as he sat restlessly on his tree branch, alternating his glance between the stars above and the girl below, silent but still awake. It wasn't like her. Normally Kagome was asleep almost as soon as Shippo and he would fall asleep once he knew she was dreaming. But not tonight. She had barely said a word since they had gotten away from Naraku and she had bathed in a nearby spring. Sango had said she had kept mumbling about needing to be clean. When Kagome had finally come back, they had stopped for the night and set up camp. Kagome had said next to nothing since and it bothered him that the normally chatty girl was so quiet.

"InuYasha?" asked a tiny voice from below. "Are you still awake?"

He jumped down, landing right beside her in her sleeping bag. "Sure am, Kagome."

"Do you think Kagura is going to pick up Naraku?"

"It's possible, I guess," he replied quietly.

She moved to stand, careful of the kitsune next to her on the bag. "So let's see if the kaze no shimobe can follow them. Walk with me?"

He stood slowly and helped her up. Taking his hand, she made him follow her away from the camp and out to a nearby cliff looking out at a large lake covered with specks of starlight._ They_ were already there, waiting silently until he released Kagome to approach her. He hadn't trusted them from the start, but after that last attack, he wasn't going to give them any chances to hurt Kagome. One of the things went to her, wary of him. Oblivious, Kagome caressed its head before letting it and all the others fly off into the cool autumn air. She smiled and took his hand again, squeezing it gently. He did nothing. Kagome was just a jewel detector and he wished she would stop trying to be his friend.

"I think we need to talk, InuYasha," she said sweetly as she sat down, pulling his hand down with her. He finally sat but remained silent. "It's about Naraku."

"I already know."

She smiled up at him gently. "It's hard to love someone and hate them at the same time, isn't it?"

"How would I know?" he asked coldly. He didn't want to be here. How could she so calmly confess that she loved Naraku?

She brushed a stray strand of hair behind his ear, her hand brushing along his skin. Her other hand cupped his chin and forced him to look at her. "You love her, don't you? It hurts you to think she wants to be with someone else, doesn't it?" He said nothing. She wrapped her arms around his neck moving to sit in his lap. "It breaks your heart in two doesn't it? You never want to see her again, do you?"

"What do you know about me, Kagome?" He shouted standing, throwing her to the ground. "Nothing, that's what! You're just a stupid girl who thinks she's all grown up when she's really a little baby!"

She laughed. "Temper, temper, InuYasha. You're letting too much out on the wrong person. Little Kagome _is_ just a child; that's why I am here. She couldn't deal with Naraku, or the guilt." InuYasha looked at her skeptically. "That's what I'm here for. That child would have been in much worse condition if I had not come along to help her. Of course, she asked for my help. In her heart, Kagome knew she needed me, knows she will always need me."

The realization came to him suddenly. "Kikyo."

"Who else?"

"What have you done to her!" He should have seen it earlier. How had he missed it?

"Only what she wanted. She wanted to be strong and brave for you, and now," She grinned coldly, "she is."

"She's already brave and strong, Kikyo, and you are dead. Leave her alone."

"But I like this body _soooo_ much, InuYasha." She took his hands in hers and smile. "I'm alive again. We can be together like we always wanted." She leaned up to kiss him, her eyes closing slowly...

He pushed her down roughly, wincing at how hard she hit the ground. Kagome would feel that in the morning, if she came back by morning. He took the girl's collar and roughly pulled her face to an inch of his.

"InuYasha?" She smelt terrified.

"You are the one that wants Naraku, aren't you?" He shook her roughly when she didn't reply, "Aren't you!"

"Yes," she finally stated, her hands struggling to rip his away from her neck.

"You're the one that hurt him?" She nodded, sobbing slightly. "Say it!"

"I did it," she whispered before he tossed her to the ground. She stank of fear and salt. Unfortunately, he could only smell Kagome, only see her face as she cried. He had to be getting soft.

"You are coming with me," he commanded as he grabbed her wrist. "Don't even try to get away."

She followed him all the way back to the camp without resistance. She stayed where he put her as he woke Miroku. It took only a few whispers for the monk to begin gathering his belongings and set about inspecting 'Kikyo'. When he finally finished, seemingly hours later, InuYasha moved in.

"So?"

"There is nothing I can do my friend," the monk replied softly. "I am afraid that this is beyond my skills."

"So what do we do?"

"We see Mushin and see what he says." Miroku looked at the girl slumped by a nearby tree. "Maybe he will know what to do."

"And her?"

"She should return to her normal self soon. I hope."

He looked to the nearly dozing girl who somehow still managed to glare at him. "And if she doesn't?"

Miroku just stared ahead bleakly.

* * *

Evil? Maybe, but this is an angst fic. Again, sorry for the long wait, butI will be trying to update over the summer. R&R please. SY


	14. Chapter 13

**Owari Nai Yume; Unending Dreams**

**Chapter 13**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!T-T**

Warm. She was completely warm, and light. She felt totally weightless and ethereal, as if she weren't really there. She looked up and saw a tree branch hanging over her, a patch of bright red making it's way through the lush green leaves.

"InuYasha?"

She froze as she heard her voice speak, looking down to the sleeping bag below. "Are you still awake?"

There she lay, snug as a bug in a rug, with a sad look on her face, far away and forlorn looking at the same patch of red she had looked at seconds before. InuYasha, unaware of her standing right next to her somehow moving body, jumped down and right through her. She jumped back, a small, soundless cry escaping her lips, if she even had lips, or may be she had only imagined the cry...

"Sure am, Kagome."

He sounded both annoyed and concerned as he looked at the girl, at her. No, she could see the wrongness in the eyes, somehow as clear as in the noon day sun, Kikyo. She looked back at InuYasha, gold eyes a mix of hurt and sorrow. She stopped trying to warn him before she even started. It would be of no use. He couldn't see her, couldn't hear her standing feet away, watching with worried eyes. Kikyo. What was she going to do now?

Kikyo in her body smiled slightly. "Do you think Kagura is going to pick up Naraku?"

"It's possible, I guess." It was quiet, detached, creepy in a way she had never expected to hear from the hanyou. It was almost malicious, but only just.

Kikyo moved to stand, careful of the kitsune next to her on the bag. "So let's see if the kaze no shimobe can follow them. Walk with me?"

She watched helplessly as Kikyo in her body took InuYasha's hand and lead him to a nearby cliff, smiling and sending him flirty glances that he somehow managed to ignore. Kagome followed with ease, her 'body' floating over the ground effortlessly. They were already there and they already knew Kikyo wasn't her. One flew up to her hesitantly, careful not only of the hanyou a few feet back, but also of Kikyo.

_Why does the old Mistress come to us in the new one's body?_

_I need souls once more my darlings,_ Kikyo replied stroking it with more love than should be given to one of the creatures. _You will do my bidding, won't you? Was I not a better Mistress than that child? Did I allow harm to come to you?_

It didn't reply verbally, but Kagome could see it agree with her. They had turned on her, no real surprise. After the last time, she hadn't felt safe near them. She watched it float off and join the others, knowing they were lost to her forever as Kikyo walked back to InuYasha, taking his hand in her's, squeezing it, looking up at him with doe's eyes. Kagome hoped she didn't look so pathetic when she looked at InuYasha, or so stupid.

"I think we need to talk, InuYasha," Kikyo said in a sickeningly sweet voice as she sat down, pulling his hand down with her. He finally sat but remained silent. "It's about Naraku."

She cringed. Gods, what was she going to say.

"I already know." If she could have, she would have been nauseous.

She smiled up at him gently. "It's hard to love someone and hate them at the same time, isn't it?"

"How would I know?" he asked coldly. This time hurting her even more. It scared her.

She brushed a stray strand of hair behind his ear, her hand brushing along his skin. Her other hand cupped his chin and forced him to look at her. Kagome could only think-yell **_GET MY DIRTY HANDS OFF OF HIM! _**"You love her, don't you? It hurts you to think she wants to be with someone else, doesn't it?" He said nothing but from where she floated, his eyes said everything. Kikyo wrapped her arms around his neck moving to sit in his lap. "It breaks your heart in two doesn't it? You never want to see her again, do you?"

She hated to admit, but Kikyo was probably right.

"What do you know about me, Kagome?" InuYasha shouted standing, throwing her to the ground. "Nothing, that's what! You're just a stupid girl who thinks she's all grown up when she's really a little baby!"

If she could have, she would have cried, she'd have 'sat' him a hundred times, would have run far from this place. How could he be so cruel?

Kikyo laughed, coldly, shrilly. "Temper, temper, InuYasha. You're letting too much out on the wrong person. Little Kagome is just a child; that's why I am here. She couldn't deal with Naraku, or the guilt." She looked ahead of her blankly. Is that what had happened? "That's what I'm here for. That child would have been in much worse condition if I had not come along to help her. Of course, she asked for my help." No, she didn't want her. "In her heart, Kagome knew she needed me, knows she will always need me."

_I don't need you Kikyo!_ She felt as if she were about to burst out in tears.

InuYasha's eyes suddenly hit realization. "Kikyo."

"Who else?"

"What have you done to her!" Did he sound worried?

"Only what she wanted." She didn't want this. "She wanted to be strong and brave for you, and now," Kikyo grinned coldly, "she is."

"She's already brave and strong, Kikyo, and you are dead. Leave her alone." Did he really think that? Then why was he always so mean to her? Why did he always say she was so weak?

"But I like this body soooo much, InuYasha." Kikyo took his hands in hers and smiled. "I'm alive again. We can be together like we always wanted." She leaned up to kiss him, her eyes closing slowly...

Kagome watched in shock, so sure of what was going to happen next. The look of shock on Kikyo's face when InuYasha stood, throwing her to the ground, was very much reflected in Kagome's mind. She saw InuYasha wince slightly before taking Kikyo's collar and holding her face roughly an inch from his, the look of anger on his face sending chills up and down Kagome's imaginary spine.

"InuYasha?" Kikyo was completely terrified.

"You are the one that wants Naraku, aren't you?" He shook her roughly when she didn't reply, "Aren't you!"

"Yes," Kikyo said in a rather sob-like way, tears threatening at the corner of her eyes.

"You're the one that hurt him?" She nodded and the tears fell. "Say it!"

"I did it," she whispered before he tossed her to the ground. InuYasha looked at her with hate and regret at the same time, probably because of how hard Kikyo hit the ground. That was going to hurt in the morning, if she was back in her body by morning.

"You are coming with me," he growled as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet. "Don't even try to get away."

Kagome followed them all the way back to the camp as the defeated Kikyo walked behind InuYasha without resistance. She watched as Inuyasha woke Miroku, as the monk inspected the body of the oddly still Kikyo. When he finished, just a few minutes later, already aware that it was well beyond his skills to help, InuYasha moved in like a vulture over a newly dead corpse. She listened as the monk gave his diagnosis and recommendation, the unspoken answer to InuYasha's last question. She watched as Miroku told InuYasha to get some sleep, as the monk made his way back to his bedroll, as Kikyo glared at InuYasha.

The world around her faded to black and she felt her ethereal form fade as she returned to her body. She could feel the sunlight on her face, the wind as it blew over her gently, the warm heartbeat of someone who also held her close, whose hand was playing softly in her hair, who smelt of sweat and musk and of the forest. Her eyelids wouldn't move, so she merely relaxed and tried to figure out if that odd dream was real, if Kikyo really had taken over, if InuYasha really had done what he had. Of course, the dull throbbing pain in her back seemed to support that.

"So you mean Kikyo possessed her?" Shippo's question floated up to her. She had to be in a tree with InuYasha, she guessed.

"More than simple possession, Shippo," Miroku whispered, as if speaking it would bring the devils to them, "I don't quite know what it was, but possession it was not. This is much more dangerous."

"How come Miroku?" Sango asked, very much like a chld. She didn't understand what was going on, had never really taken grasp of it. It was just out of her realm of the understandable.

"If this continues, I fear," he paused and swallowed hesitantly. She could almost see him looking at the ground, quiet and ashamed that there was nothing he could do. "I fear we may lose her. Forever."

"What! But we can't lose Kagome! Isn't there something we can do Miroku? Can't you exorcise her?"

"_That _is a part of Kagome's being, her very soul. To try would do more harm than good."

She held in a sigh. Kaede had warned her, and now Miroku had the same conclusion. There was nothing they could do. She was most likely beyond Mushin's help now, but there was a chance he knew of someone else who could help, even if it was a demon. Some demons, who had lived for hundreds of years, knew more than a human monk or priestess ever could. Age made a large difference in these fields that required years of training, observation, and what ever else they needed. Only demons could master any one of those, and still be learning more everyday; they were just too much for a human.

InuYasha turned away from the conversation as Shippo began to complain and whine and the humans tried to calm him. So that's how it was. It was one thing thinking it, knowing it deep inside but always denied, another hearing it. Speaking made it all so clear, so final. He could lose her forever, and not just a shard hunter, but a friend and companion. He felt something inside him stir. He wouldn't let himself cry. It wasn't over yet. There was always something he could do as long as he didn't give up. Kagome had never given up on him when it looked bad, and he would do the same. There had to be something Mushin could do, or if not him, someone. There just had to be.

A sound. He saw Kagome's eyelashes flutter, heard a deep moan as the pain hit her. He winced. He had done that to her. Her eyes finally opened and she looked up at him, smiling slightly, but her eyes were dark and sad and full of understanding. She reached up and let her hand brush through his hair, starting just below his ear. "Morning."

It was a statement more than a greeting. "How do you feel?"

"Like I slept on a pile of rocks." She grinned jokingly, "but I guess that's to be expected. How about you?" She looked at him with her brown orbs wide and questioning as he continued to inspect her.

He pulled her tightly against his chest, squeezing her close, his nose brushing against her neck in a mad need to fill his lungs with her scent. His hands played in her loose hair as hers weakly tried to return the heartfelt embrace, but they were trapped between them.

"I'm sorry," he whispered against her cool skin.

She managed to push back and look at him in the eyes. "For what?"

"For not trusting you, for letting you get hurt and," He didn't want to say it, to bring it into the light, "and hurting you." Speaking made everything so final.

"It's alright InuYasha. I understand."

"No, you don't." He touched the dark purple bruise around her wrist with a gentle hand. "I-I-I did that. Everything you feel, I did."

"I know. I saw what happened last night"

"With Kikyo?" He didn't understand. "But how?"

"I had an...out of body experience. It was rather freaky seeing me and you and everything, but neither of you knew I was there," she grinned briefly, "I must admit I've never been so scared of you as when you were asking Kikyo those questions. I just..."

"Don't tell me you thought I'd actually..." She hid her eyes confirming his unspoken statement. "Kagome, I would never, ever do anything to you, not even if Kikyo deserves it. You know I can't hurt you." He flushed madly as she nodded meekly. "Kagome?"

She looked back up at him, concerned by the sad tone of his voice. "Yeah?"

"Miroku said that...what I mean is...Kikyo's spirit..."

"Threatens to take over mine permanently, I know." She lowered her head submissively. "I heard."

He could tell she was hiding something not only by the way that she avoided his eyes but with the calm she manged to display in the face of the news. It took time to get that with this kind of news. "You knew?" He couldn't believe it. "You mean you knew and didn't tell me?" By the way she winced, he could tell he had hit a sensitive spot. "Well, why didn't you?"

"I didn't want to worry you guys," she said hurriedly, "Besides, Kaede said it was only a small risk that might no-"

"A small risk!" He yelled, letting loose the pain and frustration that had been building in him overnight. "This is not a small risk like some tiny cut, this is your very soul! You should have told me! We could have helped you before this happened. I thought," he swallowed and lowered his voice, "I thought you trusted me."

"I do, InuYasha," she whispered meekly, tears building in her eyes, "but I didn't want to make you worry about me, not when we've got more important things to do. I didn't see any harm i-"

"And you think finding out you've been hiding something from me wouldn't hurt?"

"I didn't think you'd find out. Not for a while at least..."

She collapsed in his arms, emotionally if not physically. He pulled her closer to him, needing suddenly to know she was still safe, still there, still alive and herself. What was he going to do with her? He needed her to know he wouldn't stand for her hiding these things from him anymore. He needed her to know who was in control of this group, who she needed to keep informed about every detail of her health. If noone else, she had to tell him.

"Kagome, I need you to promise me you will never hide something like that from me again."

"I promise."

He pushed her back gently and made her look him in the eyes. "Say it Kag."

She started and looked at him confused for a moment before smiling lightheartedly. "I promise I will never hide anything like that from you again."

He smiled back at her before kissing her forehead tenderly, unseen by their observers. "Thank you. Now, is there anything else you want to tell me?"

She nodded but hesitated in replying. "Naraku and Kikyo, well they...slept together. A-a few times."

He nodded. "Already knew that. Anything else?"

She thought for a moment. "I don't think so."

"Okay." He smiled at her gently. "We're going to go see Mushin, see if there's anything he can do for you."

"You don't have to go to all that trouble. The jewel shards-"

"Will still be here when this is dealt with." He grinned at her completely shocked look. He had even surprised himself with that little tid bit. "Besides," he added standing up, "if the detector is broke, you gotta fix it."

"I'm not broken!" She was cute when she did that, her face all red and all.

"It was a joke, yeash. Get a sense of humour, will ya?"

She glared and he froze. He knew that look in her eye.

"InuYasha, S-"

"Dammit wench! We're in a tree!"

"So get us down."

"Not if you're going to 'sit' me!"

As they continued to bicker, the group below them watched in amusment.

"At least something's back to normal," sighed Shippo as he turned to Miroku. "What's for breakfast?"

"I don't know," replied the monk coolly.

"How bout DIRT YOU PERVERT!" screamed Sango as she knocked the monk unconscious.

Shippo grinned as he watched the couples fight. "Yep, everything's back to normal."

It wasn't. Over the next three days, after that short, illusively normal moment, there was little anyone did that was truly normal. Yes, Miroku groped and InuYasha cursed, Sango hit and Kagome admonished, Shippo pleaded for his very life, but there was a sense of disturbing oddity. They were all quieter than normal, except InuYasha who found time to be louder and more annoying then ever before. If that had been all, everyone could have blamed it on being his 'time of the month', but there was also his moments of silence, of understanding thought to be too great for his simple mind to comprehend. InuYasha was, in short, scaring the hell out of everyone. He would sit, every night without fail, next to Kagome until she fell asleep, not leaving until he was sure she was having pleasant dreams, preferably not one of the Kikyo type. Noone dared to tease him, not even Shippo. He had a strong face to the world, but he was the worst off of them all. Kagome seemed to be almost humouring him in the trip to Mushin's temple, in letting him always be close enough to call upon, even when she and Sango bathed, as long as Shippo watched him carefully and Kirara took over the task of keeping Miroku away from them. Three days they travelled. Three days that was full of more touching and scary moments than any other. Three days of heaven and of hell.

Mushin's shrine lay just ahead, it's outline clear in the light of the setting sun. After one long week of travelling, they had reached their destination, but noone was ready to celebrate. The group stopped at the edge of the crater that marked Miroku's father's grave. Before they finished a short prayer, Mushin came out of the shrine.

"Well, well, if it isn't Miroku. What brings you here?"

"What else? We were in the area-"

"We need help," InuYasha corrected, pushing the monk out of the way. "C'mon wench. You guys go do something. This doesn't concern you." With that, he lead Kagome and Mushin inside the temple before settling in a small room away form the centre of the temple where he was sure they wouldn't be snuck up on be some spies. He did most of the talking only asking for Kagome to tell the smallest bits. The elder monk listened with interest, only interrupting for some clarification at some points.

"So what do you suggest Monk?"

Mushin sat in thought for a few moments as the hanyou watched him expectantly and the girl almost bored.

"I believe you need to see Rei."

"Who?"

"A miko that has the power to see into the soul and help them grow, or something," he mumbled quickly. "She tries to keep what she does very secret for some reason or other. The last I heard, she lived in the mountains to the west of here. She may or may not help you, but she is the only possible help I can see for you."

InuYasha nodded his head thoughtfully. "Mountains west of here? Thanks monk." He checked the light from outside. Night had fallen while they had talked. "We leave in the morning Kagome."

She nodded and followed him and the monk to where the others had gotten some food. Why was life so confusing?

Dawn fell upon the temple with a cloudless sky smiling down at the small group of sleepers. The little fox rolled over in his sleep and woke when he failed to find the warmth that was always there for him. He was surprised with an empty sleeping bag. Letting out a small cry, he looked around the room for any trace of her, but even her scent was cold and hours old, and so was InuYasha's. The little fox came up with a sudden and infallible solution to the question of where they had gone. They were going to finally become the mommy and daddy they were meant to be, after stopping off at some witch for the whole Kikyo problem. Satisfied, he crawled over to Kirara and fell asleep all over again, dreaming of his little brothers and sisters.

Long time in coming, but i hope it was worth it. I knida had writer's block, but the next while is kinda set up, so all i have to do is write, but school is more important. (I know it's funny, but when you have to pay, it really does seem that much more is needed of you) Anyways, until next time and please, R&R.


	15. Chapter 14

**Owari Nai Yume; Unending Dreams**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!T-T**

**Chapter 14**

Completely unaware of the fox demon who was running around yelling on the top of his lungs, extremely overjoyed at the 'news', that InuYasha and Kagome had gone off to become the true mommy and daddy he so deserved, the 'parents' were marching steadily up a path on the side of the mountain to see Rei. The noon day sun beat down on them mercilessly and the silence that had built up around them was becoming rather unbearable for them both. Finally, mother got tired of it.

"InuYasha," it was quiet, but it was better than the silence, "why couldn't we wait for Sango and Miroku to come?"

Ahead of her, the hanyou sighed. "I told you, if Rei keeps what she does secret, it's easier to keep two quiet and out of everything than five, especially that damn fox. Imagine if we brought him!"

Kagome sighed. "No peace or quiet. If that was the case, why did we have to leave before dawn? I would have liked to say bye to everyone."

He turned around, stopping, and looked at her carefully for a moment. Her eyes were dull and more than a little tired with rather pronounced bags under them, her hair seemed to have lost its normal luster and her skin was rather pasty. She looked just plain sick and she was waning away every second they wasted. That was why he had gotten them out early, because saying 'bye' would have to be after breakfast, which would be after everyone woke up, which would be hours after dawn. They would only be leaving sometime before noon instead of being already partway up the mountain. How the hell was he expected to explain that to her without getting all mushy and 'I was too worried about you' and all that crap?

"We would have wasted too much time," That worked. "like we are now. C'mon."

He started to walk up the mountain again, but stopped when he realized Kagome wasn't following. "What now?"

She broke out of her revery and shook her head, eyes on the ground and thoughtful. "Nothing."

He knew when Kagome, actually most women, said 'nothing' it usually meant 'something', but she clearly wasn't in the mood to go into it. "So let's go."

She nodded and they began to move again, Kagome just a few paces behind. A large gust of wind hit them from behind and InuYasha stopped, sniffing it carefully. "Dammit, this is just what we need."

Kagome looked up and around, unconcerned about any approaching danger. She didn't sense any shards, so why worry? Maybe it was going to rain, she thought looking at the dark clouds that had recently appeared above them. "What?"

Before he could reply, a blue flash appeared and moved straight for Kagome. InuYasha had barely gotten her out of the way when it hit where she had been standing, destroying the rock in the process. When the dust cleared and he had ensured Kagome was alright, he looked up to see a youkai with long dark hair and freezing cold black eyes standing above them on a nearby ridge.

"Not bad, little man," grinned the youkai, "But I am confused. Why do you bother protecting such a pathetic mortal?"

"And I'd like to know how it's any of your business," InuYasha asked, Tessaiga already transformed in his hands.

The youkai's eyes harden enough to pierce steel as he charged, claws glowing green. As InuYasha prepared for his counter attack, an old woman appeared between them. She had long white hair tied in a ponytail almost identical to Kaede's and she wore a bright white kimono covered with little sakura blossoms and other flowers. Her face, although old, had smooth skin without a single wrinkle and her deep green eyes had the wisdom of the ages about them. Kagome took in her appearance very quickly, noting she possessed a jewel shard and enormous miko power that seemed to flow around her. Without even moving, she had cast up a barrier, stopping both demons in their tracks. She turned and looked at each of them in turn.

"I am Rie and this is my mountain." The woman spoke in clear tones that seemed to carry to each of them without any effort. "And on my mountain, I forbid fighting." She turned to the youkai, eyes cold and nearly glowing with anger, "I had expected more of thee, Takumaru."

"For give me Mistreess," stated the demon, kneeling, "I was merely..."

"I know what thee were doing, but it is the wrong way to do it. When I told thee to test them, I did not mean in battle." She turned to InuYasha. "Sheath thine sword if thy know what is good for thee."

He did so with hesitation, eyeing her suspiciously and with more than a little shock. "Rie, we've come for your help. My friend here, sh-"

Rie's eyes cut him off. "I know of thine misfortune, and thee have my sympathies, but I cannot help thy friend."

"What!" InuYasha stated in shock, "But you have to help her! We've come here looking for you because we were told you would help!"

"Would, not could. There are things beyond even my skill."

"Please, there must be something you could do for her. Anything at all?"

Rie paused and thought for a moment. "Perhaps, but tis dangerous."

He looked back to Kagome who was looking at the woman wide eyed before lowering his voice, "I'll do anything if it'll mean helping Kagome."

Rie looked at him in surprise and sudden interest as her green eyes inspected him carefully, measuring and judging him and his offer at the same time. "Anything, thee say?"

Kagome looked at InuYasha impassively, wearily, wondering what he would do.

He looked over his shoulder and smiled gently at Kagome before turning back to Rie, confident and fearless. "I promise, anything."

Rie considered for a moment and nodded. "A fair deal." She smiled and looked from the one to the other. "Continue up this path until thee reach my home. Takumaru will lead thee. When thee arrive, rest and eat the food there. We shall discuss the payment in the morning before the treatment."

With that, she disappeared as suddenly as she had come leaving them alone on the mountain. There was a moment of shocked silence before InuYasha broke it. "So, how far is this place?"

"Another few hours."

He nodded and turned to Kagome. "Get on. It'll be faster and we might not get caught in the rain."

She nodded and climbed on his back, hiding her face in his hair. He was such a fool. If only he could realize she wasn't worth as much as he kept thinking she was. He was a fool, but she had always liked him that way, so she supposed she couldn't complain. As they followed the strange youkai up the mountain, she shook off the bad feeling that echoed in her mind, or at least tried to, but it failed rather miserably only increasing her unease. Noone seemed to notice, but she could see the dark clouds around them weren't only threatening rain.

**And there's chapter 14 finally. Had problems getting this to what I wanted, but I think I finally did. Sorry about the long wait. R&R please!**


	16. Chapter 15

**Owari Nai Yume; Unending Dreams**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!T-T**

**Yes, I'm back, and this story is done. I had writer's block for ages then it suddenly and rather violently hit me. I wrote this all up in two days, so enjoy the end of Owarinai Yume; Unending dreams and look out! There may be a sequel, in a year or two. Hey, university is alot of work!**

**Chapter 15**

It was dark in this little hut and there was barely enough fire wood to keep the tiny flames going for more than another few hours, perhaps not til dawn, and he could see Kagome was already shivering in her sleeping bag. She had refused his warmth twice before that evening saying she was fine, but that certainly didn't seem the case. He would have joined her in the bag, but she had forbidden him from doing any such thing in a manner that made him truly fear. So, instead, he sat watching the fire, hoping it would give a little more warmth to the hut. Even he was starting to get chilly in the midnight air.

He turned his attention from his numbing fingers to the sounds around the hut. Since they had arrived and Takumaru vanished as if into thin air, he had neither seen nor smelt hide nor hair of anyone besides Kagome and himself. That worried him, especially since that meant they could be snuck up on just as easily as that demon had been able to disappear. He wouldn't let such a thing happen, not when they were so close to getting the old Kagome back, the warm Kagome that always was happy and smiling and doing everything she could to make them all happy, not that things could every really get back to how they had been. To many things had happened. His chilled hand reached up and touched his lips unconsciously. She hadn't mentioned it, not once. It had been a week and she had not said one word about it, not to him at least. He didn't understand how she couldn't, but then again, he hadn't brought it up, had he?

He didn't have a chance to complete his musing when he heard the door to the hut open revealing Rie who seemed completely unaffected by the chill. Even her breathe refused to mist as she breathed. She smiled as she looked over at Kagome before turning back to him.

"I thought I would find thee awake."

He didn't reply, merely watching the woman. It was odd, for a demon, she had an amazingly pure aura. She let the smile drop off and for a moment, he was reminded of the look that had often graced Kikyo's feature, business-like and distant.

"I am here to discuss the price, and receive it too, I hope."

"What do ya want?" he asked, unable to stand not knowing. Mushin had told him to watch what he promised Rie, but it was too late for that. He had already promised anything, and anything she asked, he would give.

The smile returned, not amused but satisfied, like she had known he would ask that. In all probability, she had. He wasn't a hard man to figure out. "What I ask is nonnegotiable. If I do not receive it, I shall not help your friend."

"I already said anything, Rie, and I will not go back on my word."

She had that satisfied smile again and nodded, her eyes trailing to the sword that he held possessively against his shoulder. "That is what I desire, the steel cleaving fang, the fang of the Great InuTaisho."

He blinked in a mix of surprise and disbelief. His sword, she wanted his heirloom, his Tessaiga. He almost yelled out how dare she ask for such an item, but he remembered his promise, anything, and the sword wasn't worth as much as Kagome, but, it sealed his demon nature away, it protected him and his friends. Without it, would he become some kind of beast and kill them all? Kill Kagome? That would make this all in vain, but, if he refused, Kagome would become Kikyo and this trip would have been in vain anyways. Besides, perhaps if Kagome remained as Kagome, she'd be able to make him change back without it.

"A promise," he whispered as he took hold of his sword and passed it to her, "is a promise."

She took the blade and smiled, caressing the sheath in her hands. "I shall return at dawn. See that she is awake."

He nodded and watched as she walked away, his sword in her hands.

InuYasha watched as the demon chanted over some tea in a language he didn't understand. Kagome watched too, silent. She had barely said a word since he had woken her up. Even now, she seemed half asleep, half dead as she sat in the middle of the still frigid hut. She wasn't shivering when the demon handed her the tea and told her to drink, nor as the demon chanted in that same language, shaking something like a rattle made out of some odd kind of fruit. He didn't say anything. His role was wait and watch, so he watched the demon chanting and he watched Kagome staring out at nothing. As Kagome lay down the cup of tea, the demon stopped chanting and the room, for the first time, went still. Even the fire seemed to be silent. It was another moment before a light surrounded Kagome, dark and malicious.

Kagome's eyes opened wide as a wind rose in the hut, freezing him as it blew out the fire so the only light came from her glowing eyes. Painful cries escaped Kagome, cries that seemed more tormented than angry, more sad than dangerous. As suddenly as the aura had surrounded her, it was gone, leaving them in the dark as the rain poured outside. There was just enough light for him to make out Kagome's body going limp and falling to the ground. He caught her before she hit ground as Rie started a new fire in the pit.

"It is done."

He didn't look at the demon, he didn't feel a need to look away from the still girl in his arms. "You're certain?"

"Very. The spirit was unwilling to submit, but now it is locked away. It poses no threat now."

He nodded. "Thank you."

The demon witch remained silent. "Thee may rest here until daybreak, but then thee must depart. Takumaru shall lead thee off the mountain."

She was at the door, opening it to leave them. "I'm in your debt."

She paused as her hand touched the payment he had given her. "Nay, thy debt to me has been paid. Your debt is to her. See no more misfortune comes to her. It may cause her more harm than this."

He looked up then only to find that the demon had disappeared in the rain.

Kagome looked around at her surroundings, the field full of flowers in every imaginable colour, a wooden bridge crossing over a small stream, the sky so blue, it scared her with its intensity. She was all alone in the field that seemed to go as far as the eye could see. There was noone else and nothing that broke the monotony or the silence. The wind made no sound as the grass and flowers swayed, the stream made no sound as it travelled over the rocks, there was only her breathing and her ever quickening heart beat. Not being able to take it anymore, she yelled out: "Is anybody there?"

"There is no need to yell," came a soft voice from behind her, "I am right here."

Kagome turned around in a near panic to see a woman with long black hair and a pale face. She appeared to be in her late twenties but her blue eyes glowed with a depth that could only come from hundreds of years of life. She was dressed in ancient armour, a long sword hanging at her waist and she moved with the ease of a dancer and the power of a warrior. Kagome looked at her in awe, recognizing her but unable to believe it.

"Midoriko?"


	17. Chapter 16

**Owari Nai Yume; Unending Dreams**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!T-T**

**I'd talk, but I'm sure you don't care about what I have to say, so... here's**

**Chapter 16(The last one)**

Midoriko nodded and smiled at Kagome, a warm, almost motherly smile. Kagome looked at the ancient priestess with surprise and reverence, unsure what to say or do. The woman before her was the creator of the Shikon no Tama, the one she had seen frozen in time in the cave at the demon slayers' village, the one whose soul resided in the jewel itself. Midoriko inspected her carefully, as one would a friend one had not seen in many years.

"Kagome, you are so much younger than I expected. I am sorry for thrusting this on you at such an age, but there was no choice."

"For thrusting what on me?"

Midoriko paused. "This quest, this life, this burden. If I had not though, more would have suffered. Perhaps I even waited too long, but I can do nothing about that now, can I?"

"What do you mean?"

Midoriko sighed and looked at the stream nearby. "You know the tale of how I created the shikon no tama, but the tale dose not end there, nor does it indeed begin there, but our time is short and there is much to tell. It was well over two hundred years ago when I began my training as a priestess. I was much younger than you, but I had much potential. I was your age when I married, as it was still permitted then. I loved my husband and I bore him three sons, Kishi, Soren, and Eien. By the time I was Kikyo's age, I had done much and my fame had travelled as far as the continent."

"Wait, so even though you had children, you still had your powers?"

"Yes, it is a pure spirit that gives a priestess her power, not a pure body, but that is beside the point. As time went on, the demons that feared me decided to join forces and take me down for good, thinking I could not withstand them all."

"That's the part Sango told me," Kagome interrupted. "They surrounded you and for seven days and seven nights you battled until one of them took you in its jaws. Weakened by the days of fighting, you could not purify him so you sealed his soul in your body, pushing out your own soul in the process, thus creating the shikon no tama."

"Yes, but the demon was still not defeated. We fought one growing stronger depending on the heart of who held it. But, even though my soul was in the jewel, a part of it was able to be reincarnated into a priestess. Her purifying powers gained her fame and, when the demon slayer village that protected the jewel heard of her, they entrusted the jewel into her care."

"You mean Kikyo-"

"Yes, she was my reincarnation. For a time, in her possession, the jewel prospered. Her heart was pure and her powers kept demons from stealing it. Then, Onigumo came. Even though the jewel was never in his presence, I could feel the evil in him whenever Kikyo returned from caring for him. On the day Onigumo became Naraku, I knew the moment his hand closed around the jewel his intent. I knew it was not InuYasha in a moment. The times he had managed to hold it, I felt a surprisingly pure heart, though it was heavy with sorrow and pain."

Kagome nodded, smiling to herself. "I always knew he had a good heart, even if he'd never admit it."

Midoriko smiled and nodded. "I watched helpless as they betrayed each other, as Kikyo sealed him to a tree, realizing before her death that the jewel had noone to care for it, and so she asked it to be burned with her body. For five hundred years I waited until the time was right, until one of my decedents capable of destroying Naraku was conceived, for I knew if I let him be, he would cause more pain and death. I waited until you and then I embedded myself in you, waiting until I found a way to bring you back to this time so you could destroy him."

"And so, on my fifteenth birthday, you forced me down the well, knowing Naraku couldn't stand unopposed for much longer."

"Yes, but-"

"But there's more than merely defeating Naraku," Kagome finished. "You want the jewel destroyed for good so you can finally rest."

Midoriko smiled gently. "You are wise beyond your years, Kagome."

Kagome was silent for a moment, understanding that her entire purpose in being born was to destroy the Shikon no Tama for good. A tough fact to accept so suddenly, but she had had her suspicions over her time there. There was no way she could escape her fate, not at this point in time. They would kill Naraku and she would destroy the jewel so that Midoriko could rest and her soul could rest when it was finally her time to die, but, she couldn't help brooding over some things.

"How would I destroy it?"

Midoriko smiled. "A wish, something pure. Kikyo attempted, but Naraku interfered, and it was almost better that he did. The wish to be made on it would not have been pure, but selfish. Be sure to wish for something that would in no way be selfish."

"But, how? Any wish could be selfish and then, it would have been a failure!"

Midoriko smiled and turned to look at the slowly intensifying sunlight. "Our time is up. Be patient, when the time comes, you will know what to wish for."

The world around her was fading, the field had disappeared and the bridge was all that remained. Midoriko was no more than an ethereal form, translucent as the world faded to white. Kagome shielded her eyes from the light as it blinded her before shooting. The first thing she noticed was it was chilly and that it was dark. The wood on the ceiling was blurred and she needed to blink a few times before it came into focus. Her ears took a moment longer to respond, finally giving her the sound of rain outside. She turned her head to the side and for the first time in what felt like forever, she was able to look at InuYasha without any other voice coming into her head to tell her what he had done to Kikyo or anything else about her. For the first time in months, she was alone and herself in her own body.


	18. Epilogue

**Owari Nai Yume; Unending Dreams**

**Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!T-T**

** Epilogue**

Shippo sat on the porch of Mushin's temple, bored out of his mind. It had been three days since Kagome and InuYasha had disappeared and he was tired of spreading news that they were going to become the real parents he deserved, especially after Sango had all but beat the poor monk when he decided to elaborate on what they could be doing. Since then, Sango had forbidden him from telling them again, and he listened knowing now an angry Sango was worse than an angry InuYasha, and without Kagome around, noone stood up for him. He was still sore from the 'lecture', and so, he was bored. Kilala was nowhere to be found so they couldn't play and Miroku and Mushin were too busy talking to pay little old him any attention and Sango, well Sango was polishing Hiraikotsu and she was edgy as hell. It would be a bad idea to annoy her. Hanging out with two perverted monks was really getting on her nerves and he didn't want to be the one she decided to take her frustrations out on.

The sound of a giggle surprised him and he looked up at the road ahead of him and he grinned widely. Walking down the road with the biggest frown and smile he had ever seen was InuYasha and Kagome. He took off in an instant, running right into the girl's arms. She hugged him and twirled him around like she hadn't done in ages, smiling the whole time. Nothing was said as they walked back to the temple, but he wasn't disappointed. They were back and Kagome seemed all better, even if it looked like she and InuYasha hadn't done what he had thought they had gone to do. He could live with that. It would happen eventually, so he could wait. Besides, if InuYasha was his dad, he wouldn't be allowed to steal the Tessaiga from around his waist and run off with it, finally getting a rise out of the hanyou.

Kagome just smiled as she watched the hanyou chase the kit, lugging the sword behind him. She still wasn't quite sure how Takumaru had gotten a hold of it or what he had meant when he said 'the mistress got what she wanted, this payment was not necessary' or something, and when she had asked, InuYasha had brushed it off. Oh well, at least things were back to normal.

"InuYasha! Kagome! I see you have returned! How long shall it be until the pups are born?"

InuYasha, for the first time, left the kit be in mid-chase and severely pounded the monk into the ground. She laughed aloud, relieved of all the stress of the last few months. Things were finally back to normal.

**Yes, so that's how I'm ending it. Kinda anticlimatic, right? Sorry. If you like this, I may write a sequel (I mean, what kind of wish could it be? Even I don't know!) Anyways, now that you've read the whole thing, tell me what you thought in a review! A note, thamks to everyone who has stuck with me from the start and reviewed every chapter, your support means alot to me! I hope you'll keep reading my stuff. Unwilling is going to be the next one i work on, so watch out for updates! (I mean, my last exam is April 18th, I'm sure to have time to work on these in the summer!) Bye!**


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